I'm no Hero
by Draconian Dragonfly
Summary: What if Emma thought she was the Evil Queen? What if she wanted to break the curse to make up for what she thought she did in the past? What if both Regina and Emma are battling feelings for each other? (currently on hold...)
1. Evil Queen?

The sound of rain pelted against the roof, and slid down the windows. It wasn't what was keeping her awake, no, if anything the rain was soothing her mind. The demons inside of her, fighting to get out. Another sleepless night, and with dawn coming quickly, she decided she wouldn't continue to try to close her eyes. Such a monster in her own mind that a semi-decent rest was still too far from her grasp. She couldn't understand how Henry, a son she had abandoned a decade before, could think she was some sort of savior.

Flames erupted inside of her once more, that power, that need that she just couldn't control. The ache, and the inevitable pain. Yet, she knew, without a single moments doubt, that pain was meaningless. It was for the weak-willed, the weak-minded, and the weak-bodied. She pushed the hated emotion away, not wanting to feel. To have a few minutes of peace. The ghost flames never getting to grace the world with it's demonic presence.

She'd lied, flat out, to her son. He had asked of his father. She couldn't tell him the truth, no, the boy needn't know of what special brand of devil his biological father had been. The fact she was his biological mother was bad enough. She hated herself for that, but she'd wanted to spare the boy. She didn't need him to know why she had finally decided to think the curse was real.

There was no way Regina, even as cold and collected as she was, was a Evil Queen bent on revenge. Emma knew that Regina cared deeply for the child she had adopted. Emma, as intimidated by the brunette as she was, didn't think there was an evil bone in Regina's righteous body. No, not even an ounce of evil. A bit of hatred here and there, but everyone, even Mary M had that. Emma thought she had accurately figured out who the evil queen was. How else would Emma have these mysterious powers she had developed over the years?

Emma knew that if anyone was the Evil Queen it had to be her. She was the one that produced white ghost like flames upon herself and others when her anger got to far. A power she couldn't control, but, she could force it further inside of herself. It was the only way to keep it from coming out of her. The white ghost like flames was a secret she'd always tried to keep well hidden. And the whole lying thing. She was a human lie detector. That simply wasn't normal. Then again cursing an entire town was probably not normal either.

She was Sheriff now. She smirked as she threw on her blue leather jacket. She could only imagine who would take over to throw her ass in jail, or worse, when she and Henry managed to break this curse. And then he would be crushed, to learn the woman he thought was the Savior was the Evil Queen. However, allowing him to believe he was crazy over her own selfish past mistakes just wasn't right. So, she decided, even though she could not remember her old life, she had to fall on her sword. To try her best to make her past doings right.

"Cricket" Archie just smiled, assuming that she called him that because it made Henry feel better. Not knowing that it was because Emma had figured it out, that she truly believed. "What can I do for you"

"Regina wanted you to stop in at her office while Henry is at his session this afternoon." Emma scowled. She couldn't dare look at the mislabeled Evil Queen without guilt, and another foreign emotion swirling deep inside of her guts.

She waved her hand at the Cricket-man, dismissing him. He, not wanting to get in trouble with Emma, sighed and headed quickly out of the office. The next few hours ticked on as they always would, except, way to fast for her liking. Balls of paper were littered across her floor. Her failed attempts at making one of the many disposal bins she'd placed around the station. The only real things she had to deal with beyond paper basketball was getting cats out of trees, and dogs out of lawns. Then again, she preferred boredom then to deal with crazy animal people.

"Rumple" Grumbled Emma as he stepped in front of her as she was locking up the station. His eyes twinkled. He knew that she knew, and she knew that he knew that she knew. She just hadn't admitted it till that statement. Mostly because she wanted him to feel threatened considering there positions.

"Oh. So figured it out dearie?" He said wickedly. "You do know all magic comes with a price" He did his trademark number. "The question lies, who do you THINK you are?" Rumple, being well, Rumple, knew full well who Emma assumed she was.

"The Evil Queen. And I got my memory back." She lied. Rumple just nodded. Not allowing her to know that she was wrong. She could feel that power swirling in her belly, but she quelled it. "Move. Or I'll use my power on you" Another lie, but Rumple stepped to the left anyway.

"You do know that true love's kiss will set everyone free." Emma looked back at him. Annoyance dancing in her eyes. He raised his hands in mock surrender. "I am just reminding you. Emma" She hated the way he said her name.

"Love is weakness." She muttered. Everyone she had ever loved had left her, and after reading what she'd done to Snow and what Snow did to her in the past, well, she was glad she couldn't remember the pain. Anyone would turn evil after that.

"Yes. Yes. The Evil Queen did say that allot." With that the man who possessed the Dark One waltzed past an annoyed, confused, Emma. He turned to face her once more. "As did her mother. A wretched woman was she" he finally walked away.

Emma groaned as she glanced at her watch. She was meant to be at Regina's in five minutes, she deduced she had better speed considering she was twenty minutes away by car. And speed she did. After-all, she was the Sheriff, for now at least. She zipped her blue leather jacket halfway up as she entered the Mayors office. Seven minutes late, and by the annoyed glint in said Mayor's eyes she knew she was not to be forgiven.

"Is it simply impossible for you to be on time, or do you simply show up late to aggravate me Miss Swan" Regina said in her normal tone. Emma sighed as she slumped into a chair opposite of Regina. Only the Mayor's large desk in between them.

"I had a run in with Rumple, er, Mr. Gold" Emma caught herself, but not before Regina raised an eyebrow. Before the brunette's eyes narrowed at the blonde. Emma didn't know why but Regina always just fucked her up, turning her mind to mush on sight.

"Please do not tell me you have fallen for Henry's illusions." Regina had to stop herself from growling the statement. Emma sighed, and tucked her hands into the pockets of her jacket. Regina eyed the horrible leather atrocity. She hated both jackets Emma owned.

"I know you don't believe them. You don't have to. Alright. Henry still thinks I don't believe. Just in case I am wrong. But. I have to make up for I did in the past. I shouldn't have brought this curse to be. I took you from your mother, your father. I mean, I don't know how you ended up not a baby. But. I am sorry." Regina raised an eyebrow once more at the blonde's muttering.

"At least you are not telling Henry such nonsense. If he were to know you stupidly believe I am the Evil Queen, and that you are the Savior and precious child of Snow and Charming, well, he would never outgrow his obsession" Regina snapped.

Silence ensued, save for the 'Tick tock' of Regina's horrible and aggravating clock on the wall. Regina glaring at Emma, Emma trying not to look Regina in the eye. As every time she did, an explosion of unneeded, unwanted emotions tried to battle the surface inside of her. Emma needed to talk to someone. But she couldn't talk to Mary M. She loved Mary M, even if she would become Snow once again. And then, she knew Mary would hate her once more. Until then she planned to keep her best friend as she was.

Talking to Mr. Gold slash the Dark One slash Rumpelstiltskin was simply out of the question. Henry would never stop believing should Emma be proven wrong about the curse, Ruby was young and amazing and beautiful and already believed she was Red. She couldn't tell her the truth of who she was. Red would most certainly tell Belle and Mary M. She didn't want to talk about it with Regina. But. Regina just made her feel. She wasn't sure what, but it was nice. It was scary. And it made her want to run. And she knew she would run, if given the chance, once the curse was properly broken. Death. Imprisonment. Or running. Those were the three possibilities that Emma was sure awaited her once the curse broke.

"You are not the Evil Queen." Emma blurted out. She wanted to add that anyone calling the brunette Evil pained her inside. But she wouldn't. She couldn't voice such a thing. "I know, without a doubt, who the Evil Queen is. I think you are Snow's child. I really do, don't quote me, you could be a fairy or some random woman. But I think I am right" Emma added quickly.  
Regina leaned back in her chair. A vile reaction was occurring in her stomach at just the thought that she could possibly be the whelp of such an annoying aggravating just down right exasperating woman! Royalty she was, if by marriage and reputation and nothing more. But Snow's child. She would rather die then let someone assume such a thing. And a Fairy? Regina held back the urge to both vomit and laugh. She was a 'fairy' in the sense that she was attracted to woman, and, unfortunately, to a certain blonde, but she was not the dust carrying kind. But, what most intrigued her was who Emma thought was the Evil Queen. So she leaned forward once more, her elbows resting on the desk. Intrigue in her eyes.

"You are very, very wrong. I could not be Snow's child. Or a fairy. However, please, pray tell, who do you think is this Evil Queen" She hoped she would say Mary Margaret or that infuriating Nun woman who was the blue fairy. She hated both, and so Emma's attention on them would make her jealous, but relieved at the same time. Not to mention, amusing.

"I am" Regina barely heard it, and so she gave Emma an odd look. Surely, Regina had not heard what she had. Right? Wrong. "I am the Evil Queen. And I know it will break Henry. But I owe it to him, to you, to Mary, well Snow. To everyone. I have to break the curse. I know that you love Henry. And I know that even when they probably kill me when I break my curse, I know you will still care for him. Still love him. Because he is your son. In every way that truly counts. Look. Mary is expecting me for dinner" Not waiting for a dismissal from the dumbstruck brunette she rushed out of the office and to her car.

The first part of Emma's theory that struck Regina was her death. Regina, as much as she hated to admit it, even internally, would not let the blonde bitch die. She, even in the confines of her mind, told herself it was for Henry's sake. It made her happy to know that the other woman admitted that Regina loved her son beyond all else. And that she knew that Regina would always take care of Henry. However, she didn't like that Emma thought she was the Evil Queen. In fact. She hated it. And, she didn't know why.

She drove away as fast as her little bug would allow. She forced a smile on her face as she entered her apartment. Her apartment with Mary M. And, as always, she wished nothing would change between them. But she knew, once the curse broke. Well. Everything would change. But, it was for the best. Living the lie that she had forced upon them wasn't good for them. She wouldn't be selfish, it just wasn't right.

A/N: This is my first crack at a swanqueen. If you have the time let me know what you think, I am not sure whether to toss the story out. Or whether I should continue. Thank you for reading.


	2. Misguided beliefs

She knew her place. She didn't deserve a happy ending. She had killed, albeit for the right reasons. Yes, she had served her minimal sentence considering her age and plea bargain. She had stolen, she had fought. Yes, in her later years she had been the bails-bondsman rather then the one being captured by one. But that did not erase who she really was on the inside. A demon. She simply wanted to be left alone. And yet. She was always alone, yet, never alone. She wished she had never realized the truth.

It had been five days since she had seen Regina. And by god had she tried to avoid the beautiful woman since. Which, considering the town was no Boston, was difficult. Every time she saw the woman's car, or even thought she smelled apples, she fucking ran the opposite direction. She'd even taken to not seeing Henry just because of the chance of Regina being there. She didn't want to be anywhere near the fucking mayor. The mayor just hit her fucking 'spill all' button quota for the damn decade.

"Miss Swan" Emma's eyes shot up from her desk. She knew at once the voice, she forcibly looked to the side of Regina. She couldn't look into those eyes, she hated the mixture of unknown emotions that would boil inside of her.

"What can I do for you Madam Mayor" It had been a slow day, like any other. Emma doubted she was here for any official business. She was probably just going to get yelled at for her fairy tale shit. Something she had tried damn hard to avoid.

"In your ten weeks of being the official Sheriff, and three weeks of acting Sheriff you have not done any, and I mean any, paperwork. While I do understand that there isn't much work to be done, maybe an half hours worth a night, putting it off for three months isn't exactly screaming 'competent' to me." Her voice was calm. Yet, still held so much power and confidence.

Everything Regina said was true. Emma didn't need her special lying catching superpower to know that. She hated paperwork. She had hoped, against all odds, that Regina would not notice her lack of paperwork until she had broken that stupid curse. That way whomever took over would be forced to do it. She also hated being reminded of how long, or how, she had become Sheriff.

Emma Swan truly believed her kiss was poisonous to anyone from Fairy Tale blood. Even though she hadn't like Graham in anyway but friendship, when he had kissed her, he had started screaming about wolves. And then he had clutched at his heart, and he had fallen dead. His autopsy said heart defect. But Emma was sure it was because she was the Evil Queen. Sure it was she who had killed Graham, with something as simple as a kiss. A snap of Regina's fingers in front of her face, mere millimeters from her lips startled Emma from her thoughts. She immediately drew her head away from Regina's limbs, the briefest of touches from her lips could kill the poor brunette. Or, so she believed.

"Yeah. About that. Sorry. Uhm. I'll get right on it" Emma lied. She had no intention of starting the stacks, and stacks of paperwork. Regina let out a small laugh, it sounded, well, amazing to Emma. She scowled. "I will" grunted Emma.

"You are right. You will. Because I am taking all of your papers with me to my office. And you will spend every waking moment not spent doing actual police work with me. In my office. Doing your paperwork. So I suggest you work fast" Emma didn't like Regina's plan in the slightest.

As Emma opened her mouth to protest the brunette sent her a glare that had the blonde clamping her mouth shut. She was by no measure the smartest crayon in the fucking box, but she wasn't the dumbest either. She knew that Regina's word was, currently, being used as law. The mere thought of being stuck in such close quarters sent several different chills up Emma's spine.

A small card table had been set up for Emma to work at in the far corner of Regina's office. Emma and paperwork did not go together, after an hour and a half she had only gotten a few papers done accurately. Mostly because being so close to Regina was hard, she couldn't keep her eyes from moving of their own accord to trace her body. Her mind refused to listen to her, her body not reacting to her commands. The other part was of course her pure disdain for anything involving paperwork, one of the reasons being a bails-bondsmen had been awesome, she got her employers to do it for her.

She wanted Regina physically. Which, for a multitude of reasons were wrong. For one, she believed she was the Evil Queen. Which, made Emma Regina's step-grandmother. Secondly, she was the mother of her child. She tried not to let her mind wander to the whole that made her son her biological son and step great grandchild thing. Thirdly, love was weakness. Pain was love, and both meant nothing. Lastly though, she could not stand it should her lips brush against the woman's. She could not stand it if she was the reason Regina died. Hell, the mere thought of Regina's death made Emma's insides hurt, and tears threaten to spill from the always dry caverns that were her eyes.

Five in the afternoon was signaled by Regina slamming a folder shut, and the chimes of the clock tower down the street. It had been three hours since she had arrived in the office, almost four since Regina had showed up at the station. Regina shot her a look. Emma looked down at her small stack of finished papers. She felt incompetent, like a small child being scolded from a mere look. She didn't know why, didn't care to think of why honestly, but she wished to please Regina. To make her proud.

"I find it sad that my son could have had at least five times that done in the amount of time you have been here Miss Swan. Obviously he didn't get his skills from you." Regina spat at her. Emma only nodded.

"Smarts ain't genetic. His father was dumber then a doornail." Emma spat back. Regina cocked her head slightly, the story she had heard, on numerous occasions, was that her son's father was a fireman. Who had died saving a family before he had been born.

"I'll take that as a compliment to my parenting Miss Swan." Regina said slowly. "Although, according to Henry his father was a fireman. And I would assume to be in such a noble profession one would have some intelligence"

Regina didn't need to look at the way Emma's eyes grew dim, the way her hands clenched, and she didn't need to hear the way the blondes teeth crunched together to know that Emma had committed the ultimate sin. She had lied to Henry. Something, Regina knew, that Henry would not forgive. Knew that he wouldn't even forgive Emma for such a thing. However, from Emma's reaction she knew that Emma must hate the man, who Regina assumed, had broken her heart. So, as much as she'd love to inform Henry of his precious saviors deceit, she wouldn't. It would only, unfortunately, hurt her son.

"Then I must of have been too stupid and naive to see the extent of his smarts I guess" Emma said, her voice threatening to crack. Her flames threatening to ghost their way out of her body, like it had when it had claimed the life of her foster father when she was almost seventeen.

"For the record Miss Swan. I never called you stupid, I merely pointed out that my son knows how to actually do what he needs to do, rather then stare into outer space simply because he finds paperwork extremely boring. I myself would rather be doing something entertaining then sitting behind my desk from nine to five everyday doing nothing but paperwork" Regina said as she grabbed her black jacket, and opened the door to her office.

Emma nodded at her, not knowing how to respond to that. She threw her jacket back on, and walked briskly out of the office and to her car. Happy to escape the rather large office that felt like a coffin. A comfortable, yet uncomfortable coffin. And, if she couldn't get her body and mind to listen to her commands, then she feared she would lose all control. And she would allow her lips one sweet kiss to those luscious lips the Mayor had. She would have too, just for the ecstasy that, as much as she hated to think about, would erupt from such an action. However, knowing that Regina would die thanks to her poison lips. Well, she couldn't do that. Emma wondered what she could possibly get out of allowing her heart out of it's steel cage. A happy ending? No. The Evil Queen of old, well, perhaps she could have been redeemed. If people allowed her a second chance, but her second life, there was no excuse for that. She had other options then murder. Not like her Enchanted self had.

"Look. You are only two minutes late today" Regina said without looking up from whatever document she was looking over. Emma had to stop herself from flipping her off, or throwing her shoe at the woman.

"I had to weasel what coffee you liked from Red. Now I am unsure whether I want to give it to you, or drink it myself" Emma said as she sat down at her card table filled with paperwork. Setting both coffee's in front of herself.

Regina, having shown up early, and had not gotten her coffee yet. And the thought of the hot orgasmic liquid had her kicking herself in the ass for her earlier comment. Whether she allowed the woman to know that or not was a completely different story. And considering she knew nothing of Emma's past, not even Sydney god damn Glass could get anything on her. And Gold had laughed in her face when she'd tried to make a deal about it.

Slowly, a thought ran across Regina's mind. She knew that that Emma wouldn't be talking to anyone else about her fairy tale theories. And, Regina did need to know them. She also needed to know everything about Emma. Wanted, needed, craved it really. She was also in desperate want of that fucking coffee. She'd had to change her outfit ten times, and then, wanting to be early she had skipped coffee. Placing an indifferent look on her face she moved to one of the chairs in her office, the one opposite of the couch.

"I will make you a deal you simply can't, or won't refuse. You give me the coffee, and you come sit on the couch. I will ask questions, anything I want, and you MUST answer truthfully. And I will know if you lie. For everything you answer honestly I will allow you to skip two animal finding reports. And considering you get five of those a day" Regina's voice trailed off.

The room was deathly quiet for a good six minutes. Regina had almost thought her little plan had failed, but Emma stood up, an annoyed scowl gracing her features, and two coffee cups in her hands. She placed Regina's on the coffee table separating them. Emma stared at her own coffee, praying that Regina didn't ask hard questions.

"What is your favorite article of clothing?" Regina said before taking a long sip of her mocha. White chocolate mocha, triple shot, and a hint of cherry god that was good.

"My red jacket" Regina rolled her eyes at Emma's answer. She suspected as much, after all she wore the thing nearly everyday. And if not it, well, then she wore that fucking disgusting blue one. At least the red was close to apple color.

"What is Henry's fathers name?" Emma's eyes shot up, she was angry. Her hands clenched, and her teeth made that sickening cracking sound as she clenched them tightly together. Regina almost felt guilt for the question, but more then that she had to know.

"Neal." Emma spat, bile collecting in her stomach. Ghost flames itching to come out, the thought of that man brought back so much unwanted memories that for a moment she was sixteen again. Stranded in his bedroom, with nowhere to go. She sipped her own coffee, to clear her mind.

"Why were you in jail?" Regina knew that Emma had been incarcerated. Knew she had given birth to Henry in juvenile detention. She also knew that Emma had Henry when she was seventeen, and had gone to jail six months prior to his birth. She knew that she had been released at nineteen. Beyond that, she knew nothing.

"I killed a man." It was a simplistic answer. And, it was true. Emma's green eyes bore into the brunette's for a single second, before she looked back down at her coffee. She had killed a man, and there was nothing she could do to fix it.

"Where is this Neal? Should I be worried that he would want to see his offspring as you have demanded to do even though this was a closed adoption?" Regina tried to change subject, she didn't know that Neal was long since dead. Emma's teeth did there cracking sound.

"What I told Henry is true, Neal died before he was born. And even if he wasn't, I swear unto you I wouldn't allow that man near any child. Particularly one who shares my genetic tissue" Snarled Emma as she sat up. Regina had found her breaking point.

Regina wanted to stop Emma from leaving, but something about Emma in that moment screamed power. And Regina was scared in that moment of seemingly powerless Emma Swan. She knew she had pushed Emma to the edge, that hadn't been the plan. But she was desperate for any and all information referring to the Sheriff. She wanted to blame it all on the curse, but she couldn't. She was a Queen, and she didn't need to admit anything to anyone, not even to herself.

Once Emma was out of the office, she unballed her fists. The ghost like flames had found there way out, and were burning her hands. She shook her head, she had to get them back inside of herself and quickly, and she knew of only one way to do that. After all, the flames were still only in her hands, that hadn't started flicking around her from nothing. She, with a grimace, clapped her hands together. Willing the flames to mix together inside of her flesh, the burning hurt, and she'd have to bandage her hands. But, that was not something new. She had to do it plenty of times in the past.

She got into the elevator, and unclasped her hands. They were red, bloody, and some of the skin was black in places. She tore off the bottom of her shirt, creating two strips. This left her jacket-less and a shirt that showed everything but her chest, she knew Ruby would be proud of such attire. She wrapped her hands with the strips, and headed towards her car. She needed out of here. And fast. She only wished she could go past the barrier, back to Boston and pretend none of this had every happened. However, she just didn't have the heart to do it. Emma knew she'd have to settle for a few hours of escape before returning to her doom.

A/N: Let me know what you think? Anyway, thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed.


	3. Fire

Regina couldn't help but feel lonely without the Sheriff inside of her office. And after only a single hour she wanted the girl back in her presence. She, of course, told herself that it was because she wanted to keep close tabs on the blonde. Her heart, which she refused to listen to, knew better. She ended up counting the hours, not getting any work done. Regina missed her. And she could only wish that she didn't. At five sharp she flipped open her cell phone, sighing as she did so.

"Hey Kathrine" She tried to keep her voice from sounding tired, but she failed. "I am simply swamped with paperwork, would you mind sitting with Henry for a few more hours? I will hurry back as soon as I am able" Which was only a partial lie, Regina needed to convince her ass to disconnect itself from her chair.

"Regina, please, don't worry about Henry. I'll put him to bed, and if you are too tired to drive then just sleep on your couch. I'll steal the guest room either way, so it's not a big deal if I need to send Henry off to school" Kathrine spoke with worry in her tone. It both pleased, and annoyed Regina.

"Thank you, I apologize." She could almost see the other woman's eye roll through the phone. "If you are in bed by the time I return I will see you in the morning. Goodnight." She shut her phone, ending the call.

Ten o'clock rolled around and Regina had dozed off thanks to boredom. In fact, she probably wouldn't have woken up if the smoke hadn't clogged the entire office. She had little power in this world, and she immediately filled with dread. Her building was on fire, and she was on the third floor. Beyond that, no one but Kathryn knew she was here. And she doubted the girl knew about said fire. She was trapped. She wondered, if this was how she was going to die.

Emma glanced up at the building. Fire trucks were pooled outside of it. Spraying water on the building. It was nine-fifty-two. She knew that Regina should be gone, but something in her gut told her that Regina was inside. She battled her way through the fireman, who refused to enter the building. She ran inside, no gear on. Just jeans and a fresh white t-shirt. She couldn't let Regina die. She wouldn't.

The flames licked the ceiling, and Emma could feel her own flames try to come out. She knew she was panicking. But, she had no real choice, she jumped through the red and yellow fire. Running up the stairs, trying not to wince at the burn to her skin. She had to get to Regina. She avoided the thicker fires, jumping through the smaller ones. She needed to be with Regina right now, she had to save her. She knew she couldn't live if she allowed the woman to die.

She had never felt so much fear, so much pain, at the thought of someone dying. At the thought of someone leaving as she did when it came to Regina. She continued to fight her way up, stumbling into the construction crews tools here and there, she didn't give a fuck about the cuts and blood the lined her arms, or the cut now on the side of her face from her knocking into the wall as she ran with no abandoned through the construction zone. She had always been a fast healer.

The flames were everywhere, as if someone had doused every single inch of wall, floor, and even ceiling with lighter fluid. As Emma danced her way through the flames, weaving, and jumping, fighting her way to the woman she was desperate to save. She made a vow, that should she live through this she would find whomever had dared attempt to harm the mayor. And when she did she would rip them apart so badly they'd look like spaghetti that had gone through a fucking blender. There was no excuse for trying to kill someone like Regina. All she did was try to help the community.

If she should die, well, Emma vowed that if there was a way she would become a ghost. And that she would fucking haunt the living shit out of whatever vile monstrosity that had done this. She'd haunt them to the point where they shoved a barrel of a gun down their throats to get rid of her. Her anger fueling her, she continued running. Not caring as she swallowed copious amounts of smoke.

A wave of relief erupted inside of her as she threw open the door to Regina's office, to see Regina shaken up, but alive, behind her desk. The woman was looking out the window. Emma stalked towards her quickly, she still had no voice as she could barely breath. Her relief began to become overridden by her fear once more. She had made it to Regina, but now they needed to get out of there. Or, at least Regina needed to survive this. Emma truly didn't care if she died as long at the brunette made it out alive.

"Regina!" She screamed out, the woman in question snapped her heads towards her. She didn't have time to protest as Emma grabbed her and started pulling her out of the office.

Emma found the route she had come through to have tripled in size. And her flames were still fighting beneath her skin, like electricity. She glanced at Regina, who had fear in her eyes. She sighed. She had two choices, die in here with Regina. As she knew there was no way to get through the fire now, it was too thick. There was no way it would work. So, the second option. She could use her flames to push the other flames out of the way. She doubted she could do it, but she had to at least try.

"I will save you. Just. Don't tell Henry." With that Emma stopped pushing the flames back. Regina clutched onto the blonde's arm tighter as ghost white flames erupted into the room, fanning every surface. She noticed the look of pain on Emma's face.

Control, something she had never in her life truly had once the flames were out. She needed it more in this moment then any other. She fought with the flames mentally, and slowly, a path was made by the flames to allow her and Regina through. The flames licked every surface, dominating the massive red and oranges of the real fire. By the time they reached the front door Emma could barely stand. Barely move, she literally shoved Regina out of the front door. And then she dropped to her knees in pain, as she tried to take all the flames back into her body.

She had never expected Regina to run back in, clearly pissed off, hell. Regina hadn't thought she'd do such a thing. As Regina grabbed her, roughly, by the shoulders the flames immediately disappeared. Emma couldn't understand it. So, she chalked it up to Regina being the child of Snow. The firefighters who had seen Emma push Regina out, and Regina going back in, came and helped the two from the doorway. Thankfully they hadn't taken notice of the white ghost like flames that had mingled into the brightness of the others.

Emma blacked out. From exhaustion, from using to much of her power, she didn't know. All she knew was she didn't want Regina to let go of her hand. And then pure darkness. Regina was worried about Emma, who was bleeding and burnt. She demanded to go into the ambulance with her. For some reason, she just couldn't let go of her. It was in that single, tiny, otherwise un-noteworthy moment she realized the truth. She had feelings for Emma Swan. Feelings that were not exactly hatred.

The brunette stared down at Emma. It was nine o'clock in the morning, just under twelve hours since she had been heroically saved by the woman's obvious magic. The blonde as stabilized, but, she had yet to awaken. Henry was clearly worried, he kept kissing Emma's cheeks and forehead. Trying to wake her up with true loves kiss, Regina didn't have the heart to tell him that while he truly loved his birth-mother, and she him, that it had to be true love's kiss. The true love that happens only between two people's whose souls are truly meant for each other.

Nor did she have the heart to inform him that true loves kiss only works when magic had been the cause of the illness or death. And Regina was unsure if the blonde's condition was because of magic, or physical exhaustion, or just her wounds. Regina was leaning against the far wall. Not getting close to the small crowd that was around the sleeping blonde. Red, and Snow, were in tears. And to Regina's dismay she not only felt sympathy for the werewolf, but her most hated enemy as well.

"Henry, visiting hours are over. We have to go home" Regina didn't really feel like going home, but, she had spent the day in a room with Snow. All. Day. The only time she'd gotten away was bathroom breaks, and when she'd left to pick up food from Granny's.

"We can't! Mrs. Blanchard had to be back at school tomorrow, and Ruby has to go to work. Someone had to be with her, she can't wake up alone mom!" He demanded. He was determined to stay, his mother sighed. Running a hand through her dark hair.

"Henry, to stay as an overnight visitor you must be over eighteen. And you wouldn't pass for eighteen to save a donkey's behind. Why don't I take you home, and have Kathrine stay with you. I will return here, and in the morning I am sure I can get Ruby to stay with her." Regina said as she bent down to be eye level with her child.

Henry thought slowly, he believed his mother was the Evil Queen. That Emma was the savior. He didn't know whether he should trust the two together or not. But, he concluded, that Emma had saved his mom, and he figured that even if the fire hadn't happened that his mom wouldn't kill Emma simply because he loved her. He loved them both, so. He nodded, and jumped to his feet. Kissing Emma's cheek one last time, a hopeful look in his eye. When nothing happened once again he sighed, and followed his mother out.

Keeping her word really was no problem, she made the calls once she was back at the hospital. Convincing Ruby was as easy as asking if she'd be able. She assured Ruby that it was on Henry's assistance that she was even making sure that the girl would not be alone. Snow was simple as well, Snow was already planning on coming back after school, so the Mayor gave her permission to bring Henry along. Stating she would pick him up from the hospital.

Which left her a dark, nearly quiet room with the daughter of Snow. The child she had forced to play the role of orphan. The woman who had been born of a different land, but the only world she knew was the one she had been raised in after being found at the side of some dingy road. She couldn't help but grab one of Emma's hands, and squeeze it. Praying for any type of reaction. But there was none, Regina felt so much guilt for what she had done to the girl. A foreign, unwanted emotion. The caused a fire in her stomach, a hatred. Towards herself. Weakness. Emma was becoming her weakness. And she didn't know how to get away, or, if she wanted to at all. She fell asleep for the first time since the fire, her head at Emma's side, her hand clutching for dear life to Emma's.

A/N: Hope you liked. If you got the time please let me know what you think.


	4. A stolen book

The schedule was the same everyday for two weeks. Snow would bring Henry to the hospital with her after school. Ruby would bring the two dinner from the diner. Regina would show up just in time for Henry to be done eating, and then she would take him home. Snow would leave once the Mayor returned, and then Regina would spend the night watching over the sleeping blonde. Every morning the brunette would wake up, her head on the hospital bed, her hand clutching Emma's. Thankfully, she woke up twenty minutes before Ruby would come to relieve her for the morning shift. So she could always replace her mask that was full of anger and annoyance.

However, after fourteen days everyone was running ragged. Henry's grades were slipping, Snow looked absolutely dreadful, and Ruby probably hadn't gotten laid in two weeks. A new record for her. It hadn't surprised Regina when the schedule that had been so perfect as to never leave the girl alone fell to shit. The third week of Emma's slumber was spent with short visits from Mary, Ruby, Henry, and a few longer ones from Regina when she knew the coast was clear.

"I will find your true love. I swear it. She's gotta be around here somewhere" Regina's eyes shot open. It was day twenty of Emma's slumber. And Henry had rarely spoken to Emma in front of his mother. She understood that he needed private time to sift through his feelings with the sleeping blonde.

"And why would you assume that Emma's true love is a female?" Regina asked softly from her place in the corner, she had trained her eyes to look back down at the sushi game she was playing on her new phone. The other had been lost in the fire.

"Because she's gay. Oops! I wasn't supposed to tell. She was scared how everyone would react. So you can't tell anyone Kay?" Henry said quickly, guilt eating at him.

"Henry. Being gay, transgendered, or any other LGBTQ term I am not up to date with is in no way wrong. We are born, and as we grow, we learn who we are destined to be attracted to, who we are meant to be with. You could marry a fairy, or a troll and I wouldn't care. As long as you never feel like you couldn't tell me something" Regina had strode over and taken his smaller hands in hers as she spoke.

Henry just sorta stared at his mom for a moment. There were not many gay people around storeybrooke, and those that were were still half-way in the closet. No one had said it was wrong, so he'd never thought that. He just thought it was a secret people had. He didn't like secrets, and had always wished people would just say what they needed to and be who they were. One of the reasons he was so adamant about getting the curse broken. People needed to be who they were. Not who Regina made them think they were.

"Why would people think it was wrong? You can't help who you love. Hey! You know the secret now, so, maybe you can help me find Emma's true love!" Henry was suddenly excited, and Regina's heart started to ache in a way she couldn't place her finger on. A different emotion splashed inside of her body after the ache, her son being excited about her help brought it to her heart.

"Sweetheart, you are assuming that you can convince someone to love someone that is in a coma, and beyond that, if Emma doesn't love them yet, well, there is no guarantee it would work. I want Emma to wake up as much as you do, but right now all we can do is wait" Regina said, trying to calm the boy.

"Mom. I am thirsty, can you get me something to drink from the machines?" Henry asked quietly, he needed to be alone with Emma. To work on his newly named 'Operation Bear', because until Emma woke up 'Operation Cobra' had a snowballs chance in hell. Regina nodded, and left the room.

Henry just stared down at Emma for a few moments. Than he climbed out of his chair, and wiped some of the loose hairs from her forehead. He carefully lowered the bar on the left side of the bed. Most of her wires were in her right arm, so he crawled up. And he laid down next to her. His book laying in his lap. He flipped through the pages, searching for any hint of who her true love could possibly be. It was late, and with how much he had been worrying it was no real surprise that he fell asleep curled up next to his birth-mother. His book still in his lap.

August smirked, Henry was nothing if not your typical little boy. He had been sitting on the sidelines, waiting for the opportune moment to strike. He needed that book, it was more then just the key to solving the curse, it was the key to much much more. Henry rarely let it out of his sight. And sneaking into Regina's place was not high on his to-do list. He double checked to make sure Regina was not on her way back up yet, and then he carefully entered the blondes room. And then how one might move a sleeping infant he carefully; and slowly, took the book from the boy's hands.

Book in hand August took a mad dash away from the room. He needed to add the most important chapters to the book, and return it, before it was too late for everyone involved. And he also knew that it would be Henry who would be able to orchestrate the events that needed to happen, both to break the curse, and to cure both of the broken woman that had to work together as one to succeed in making everything right. August had enough trouble with that fucking fire, nearly getting himself turned to ash in the process. The things on the poor man's shoulders were large, but now he could put that onto the boy. August had no malicious intent, for what needed to happen Henry was the perfect tool.

"Henry, sweetheart. We need to go home, we can come back in the morning" Regina said softly as she gently prodded at her sons shoulder. Henry gurgled, before sitting up. His hands frantically searching his lap. Searching for his book, he knew his mom wouldn't take it, he knew Regina was the Evil Queen, but he also knew why she did it. And he knew that she truly loved him and wouldn't take something precious like that away.

"Mom! Is my book under the bed?" He asked as he carefully slid from the hospital bed. Regina sighed, but squatted down and began looking around the bed. Henry followed suit, a frown settling on his face. His book was gone! "Someone took the book!"

Henry began ranting and screaming and Regina tried to quiet him, but he just kept going on and on. It was obvious that the child was nearing a mental breakdown at the thought of his book not being in his hands. It was like he believed that without the book then there was not only no hope for the curse to be broken, but no hope for Emma to awaken Regina grabbed his hands, which were flailing in all directions frantically. She pulled him close to her, hugging him tightly. It was then that he stopped his ranting; and started crying. Regina just let him have his cry, it was the first real one since the fire. And she was sure this was just the culmination of everything that had happened over the past few weeks. He had cried a little here, and a little there. But this, this was a storm made out of tears. And she understood that he needed to just cry it out.

"It's going to be alright. The book, we can have another made if we absolutely can't find that one. Alright? If the book is that important we will find a way to get it back to you" He held onto her tighter, his grip was painful. But she made no effort to stop it. He was her son, and he was scared.

She couldn't help but feel that this was her fault. She had taken this boy, loved him, but she had been selfish. If she hadn't tried to keep him so close to herself, then perhaps none of this would have happened. She raised him, and cared for him. Kissed every injury, soothed every tear, chased away every fear, and brought down every fever. The curse was ripping her son apart, and she was powerless to save him from the pain of everything that was bound to happen. She wished she had a way to just wish everything better, but she had none. All she could do was hold Henry, hold her little boy, and pray that one day he would forgive her. That one day he would love her as unconditionally as she loved him.

Henry fell asleep in his mother's arms. Exhausted from a long crying spell. Rather then wake him up a second time she propped him up, one arm under his ass, his head hanging over her shoulder. He was heavy, but he looked so vulnerable. Felt so vulnerable, it made her feel wanted. It made her feel like a mother again. And she cherished that, that feeling that she was actually being a mother to her child, rather then the oppressor he treated her as most of the time nowadays. Henry was her life, her meaning, her reason to continue being good. She was so scared that once the curse broke that she would lose him, indefinitely.

The curse was meant to bring her happiness, to bring her closure, to bring her revenge. But in the end it had brought her more pain, more misery. After eighteen years of misery she had adopted a child, and he brought her happiness. Brought her love. She still had no closure, and her revenge was not sweet. But he had loved her, until the day the book landed into his hands. And then he had brought the most beautiful woman Regina had ever seen, and she had turned out to be his mother. She had become Regina's enemy in that moment, and then when the mayor had noted who she truly was, what she was truly capable of, Regina knew it was nothing more then a matter of time before what little she had left was taken away from her. A single tear stained her cheek as she placed Henry into the backseat. She wiped it away quickly, she didn't need anyone to see her pain. Her weakness.

August worked quickly, but carefully. He had very little time to add the needed pages. The pages where he started the fire, the pages that told the story of how Emma saved his mother, flames and all. The pages that told of the nights Regina spent by her bedside. And then the most important pages were added. But these he had to be most careful with. These were the pages that told of the future, one that would lead to a path of redemption and happiness. And the other would lead to a path of death and despair. August's job was to add to the book, to keep the book in good repair, and to hand off the book to Henry. It was Henry's job to take the information and aid in helping the Savior save them all. After all, he was not only the Savior's son, but the Queen's as well.

A/N: Sorry it took so long, and sorry for any mistakes. Didn't double check, too tired, and if I put it off you probably would have had to wait another week. As always if you have the time please let me know what you think.


	5. Wake up

Four tortuous days had gone by since the book had disappeared into thin air; or stolen to be more precise. Regina's need to strangle whatever fuck faced cunt who had stolen the thing most precious to her son while a person he loved was in a coma was almost to much for her to bare. If the mayor had magic she probably would have found the shitstain and taken his heart and crushed it to ash, after getting the location of the book for her son.

Regina and Henry had searched everywhere for the book. Her car, the entire house, her office, nearly every nook and cranny of the hospital. The park, school. Emma's office and car. It was nowhere, and everyday that passed made Henry more depressed, without the book his hope was gone. And that killed Regina on the inside. She wanted her son happy, and smiling. The constant frown and look of defeat that adorned his face made Regina's heart clench and miss a beat.

His head had stayed glued to the window, his thoughts elsewhere as Regina towards him to the hospital. It was a Sunday, so there would be no school. It was after lunch, but Henry looked like he wanted nothing more then go back to bed and not wake up. Sharp pains radiated in Regina as she patted his knee. Trying to reassure him that everything would be alright, but he didn't even take notice of the gesture. His mind was elsewhere, stuck in the confines of despair and depression. His hope was gone, and he was left feeling defeated. The mayor wished that she had a copy of that damn book, so she could slide it under her sons pillow one night.

The boy followed his mother, staring at his feet as he walked. His head down, his shoulders hunched, his eyes empty. Up the stairs, down the corridor, and to the right room. He lifted his head just enough to look at his birth mother, and when he did his eyes widened. His heart beat faster, his mouth dropped, and a smile tugged at his lips. He raced towards the bed, knocking into it in his haste. He was not careful as he literally ripped the book out from underneath Emma's hands, which had been folded on top of it. There was no doubt, his book had returned to him. Regina let out a sigh of relief as Henry sat down in a chair, flipped the book open, and a smile erupted like the sun across his face.

It hadn't taken the Saviors son very long to notice that the book had been added too. The first thing that had been added to the book had Henry using words he had undoubtedly learned from the blonde. Regina would have reprimanded him, but she herself felt the need to curse, in more then just a verbal sense, as she learned who had caused the fire. And of how Henry now knew of Emma's power, especially since Emma had sounded, and looked, so desperate when she had asked, rather, begged Regina to not tell him.

She had barely been able to see the four pages pertaining to the fire before her son had ripped the book out of her hands and continued to read them on his own. Regina let him be, if there was something important she believed that he would tell her. It wasn't her place to look inside of the book, even if she desperately wanted to. She believed that it only showed the past, not the future. If she had known what was inside of that book, she would have surely looked. Instead she enjoyed watching her sons face as he read the book with wide eyes and an eager expression.

The new pages, the new stories, were interesting. August's deed angered him, and he couldn't help but hope that his mother did something horrible to him. Like turn him into a slug or a fly or something along those lines. Emma's ghostlike flames intrigued him, but what had his mind reeling was the two contradictory stories at the very end of the book. The first showed his mother's fighting, then working together, and finally them kissing. The second showed them fighting, and then showed them with Emma and Regina killing each other. Henry most definitely did not like the second option. His 'Operation Bear' needed to work, because if not, he would lose more then just Emma. He would lose his mom as well.

After the last page Henry found a note, handwritten, and barely legible. It was from August. "Henry. You mustn't let your mother, either one, know of what must happen between them. You must help them choose the right path, and grow as one. The last thing I can give you is this, on the twenty-eighth day of your mother's slumber she will awaken. I wish you luck.". The note left a stone in Henry's gut, but also left a glint of hope as well. If Emma woke up then Operation Bear could go into action. The note didn't lessen his anger at the man who was Pinocchio, he still wished he would be turned into a slug for nearly killing his mothers.

Henry tossed and turned that night. He was unable to turn his brain off. He knew that it had been day twenty-four that day. Which meant that there were four days left until Emma woke up. He was excited, but also scared. August had made it the little boys job to ensure that his mother's got there true love. Their happy ending, the one they so desperately deserved, the one that Henry wanted them to have. One where they were a family, forever. He just didn't know how to do it, and the fear of failure ate at his soul like a leech ate blood.

"We don't have to worry anymore. Tomorrow she is going to wake up! And then everything will be alright" Henry said, a smile on his face. It was now day twenty-seven, and he had been counting down the days since he found the book again. Regina frowned.

"Henry, I don't know why you are so insistent, but please, do not get your hopes up" The mayor had to struggle not to add that he was also getting her own up as well. But she couldn't say that, wouldn't, it was not something she would allow. It's stop the hope from settling in her heart.

Getting Henry off to school that day was like getting a fucking Elephant to get off his ass when he wanted to be sitting. Near impossible, but, somehow Regina had managed to get him off to school. She had winced as he had glared at her as she drove away. If they lived in some sort of cartoon realm rather then the one they were in she was positive that there would have been steam billowing from his ears and his face would have been tomato red. She knew he wanted to be at the hospital all day today, as he was convinced that Emma would wake up today. However, she had forced him to school instead.

Regina had stared down at her desk, counting the minutes until her lunchtime. Which, today, would coincide with shift change at the hospital. She needed to speak with Emma alone. She needed to beg her not to let Henry, to not let herself, down. She needed Emma to wake up. For more then just there son, Regina was finding it hard to live with the guilt that was eating at her. If she hadn't been at the office late, then Emma would have never had to have saved her. Each minute felt like an hour as she waited for the clock to strike noon.

The chair protested as Regina dragged it to the side of the bed, but the noise fell on deaf ears. Regina grabbed Emma's hand, her thumb rubbing circles over Emma's palm. She had no idea what to say, she was supposed to be powerful. But she couldn't help but feel utterly helpless, useless. She couldn't wake up Emma. And she needed to, so badly that she could feel it in her bones.

She placed her head down on the bed. She had never felt so much pain before, and it had been growing since Emma had walked out of her office the day of the fire. Regina didn't know what to do. She placed her elbows on the bed, Emma's hand still in hers. Her thumbs till rubbing those circles. She rested her head on her hands. The top of Emma's hand against her cheek.

"Please." The word came out softly, Regina's voice cracked midway through. "Please. Just. Emma. Please. Wake up." Her eyes began to water. A tear slid down her cheek, and landed on her hand. "Wake up. For Henry." A second tear slid, dropping on top of the first. "For me" The last part was so soft that Regina herself barely heard it.

The mayor felt vulnerable, and she hated that. She felt as if her heart was laying right there next to Emma. As if she herself would be lost for eternity should Emma not wake up on this day. She didn't want to think of a world where she didn't get to see Emma Swan everyday. Didn't want to think of a world where she didn't have to see those ugly leather jackets that Emma always wore. Regina didn't want to live in a world where she didn't get to see Henry and Emma smiling that identical smile together as they played one of those atrocious dragonball games the two loved so much. A world without the blonde didn't seem like a world at all to brunette.

A rooster crow was heard, and Regina sat back quickly. Fishing her phone out of her pocket, and turning off the alarm. She wiped at her eyes with her sleeves, thankful that they were black today. Which meant the stains would be barely noticeable, she didn't care that it would require dry-cleaning later. She needed to return to work, even though every part of her body wanted nothing more then to stay rooted in that chair. Waiting for the sleeping beauty to awaken, and to be the first face she saw. But, she had work to do, so she reluctantly left.

Emma's eyes fluttered open. She thought she heard someone walking out of the room, but her mind was too busy trying to figure out where the fuck she was. Her eyes snapped shut as the fluorescent lights above her bed attempted to blind her. She let out a strangled groan as pain ate her poor assaulted eyes. She opened her eyes slower this time, turning her head to the side as to not look directly into the murderous lights. It didn't take her long to figure out that she was in a hospital. She sat up, and pain shot throughout her head. Her muscles strained to do as she asked. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her body.

Uneasy eyes glanced around the room. After a moment getting used to the unfamiliar aches of her protesting limbs she swung her legs over the edge of the bed. She spotted her clothes on the dresser. She walked on shaky legs to the dresser, using the wall to keep her upright. She turned off the monitors and gadgets before painfully ripping the needles out of her arms. The sensors attached to her chest soon followed. After she had successfully detached herself from the electronics she put on the clothes that were left for her.

Waking up alone had caused a few moments of pain in her chest. She had thought that at least Mary Margaret would have been there, or Ruby. But she wasn't really surprised. She had always been alone, never expected anything more. She was fucked up, and she didn't need to burden anyone else with that. It was her cross to bare. She sighed as she struggled to walk out of the room and down the hall. She wasn't about to stay in the fucking hospital, she hated them. Always had, always would. No one noticed as the Sheriff walked out of the hospital on her unsteady legs. Using the walls to help her walk. It was as if she was invisible to them.

A/N: Anyone noticing a trend in the Charming line? Wake up in hospital? Walk out? No one notices? I think that hospital needs better workers! Anyway, joking aside, I do hope you enjoyed it. As always please let me know what you thought. And hey look, I actually managed to update twice within 24 hours. New record. lol


	6. Realization

She had absolutely no clue where she was going, all she knew was that her body, her mind, it was like her very soul was guiding her to wherever it was that she needed to be. Emma just moved on instinct, she couldn't comprehend anything other then getting to where it was she needed to be. She knew that she needed to be somewhere, for some reason, she just didn't know why.. She continued her journey. Stumbling around on the streets and the sidewalks.

No one noticed Emma stumbling like a drunken idiot down the streets of the town. No one cared as the Sheriff bounced and tripped her way down the roads. It was almost as if they didn't physically see her, or at least, didn't give a flying fuck. She was used to it, she'd been alone her whole damn life. Emma was actually glad no one took the time to stop her, the pain was growing, and she was getting tired. She needed to make it wherever she was going before she just died right on the street.

Emma couldn't understand why she was climbing the stairs of the town hall. A clearly unscathed town hall, she briefly wondered how long she'd been in the hospital, as you couldn't tell there had even been a mass fire in the first place. She continued to climb the stairs, trying to come up with a valid reason for what she was doing. Why she was headed for the mayors office. But she was, there was nothing else at the town hall she could be heading for.

The door swung open silently, Emma leaned against the door frame. Not understanding the mass amount of relief that flooded her system as she saw Regina, or rather, Regina's back. A relieved sigh slipped past her lips, and Regina twirled the chair around. The brunette was on her feet in a second. Her lower jaw was slack, and seemed to be catching the flies as it grazed the wood floors. To say the mayor was surprised was a severe understatement. All Emma knew was that she had found whatever she had been looking for.

Silence surrounded the room for a full minute before Emma smiled at Regina. She opened her mouth to say something. However no words fell from her lips. Her pain came crashing down upon her like a tsunami, the need to find Regina had kept it at bay. But now seeing the woman safe there was no barrier, and Emma fell to the floor in pain. Her eyes snapping shut as the blackness overtook her.

"Emma?" Was uttered in surprise at the exact moment that the girl crumpled to the floor. "Emma!" Now the name was screamed out, worry dripping from the brunettes voice. Regina shook the blondes shoulders, trying to awaken her. There was no response from the once again sleeping woman to east Regina's fear.

The mayor felt as if history was replaying. David, or Charming, had done this exact thing when he had woken up in Storybrooke. He had sought out the place his beloved had last spoke of. Emma had sought out Regina, the brunette wondered what that meant. Scared of the answer that was staring her so obviously in the face. Once David had completed his mission, he too had fallen under again. Fear coursed through Regina's body like a river. Would Emma be alright?

Thoughts of smacking the blonde for her sheer stupidity, that was probably hereditary considering her harebrained father had done the same exact shit. Regina also had other thoughts; thoughts of kissing her sleeping lips. Of kissing her awake. She shook her head, as if the action would clear her head of the ridiculous notions.

Regina finally decided on preforming the only logical thing she had been able to come up with her stressed out and worried brain. She rushed for her cellphone, quickly dialing the sheriffs office. A uninterested, annoyed, 'Hello' was heard after the fourth ring. Under different circumstances Regina would have snapped at Ruby for her greeting.

"Ruby. Emma showed up here, and then passed out immediately. I highly doubt that the hospital released her. It would be safe to say that she probably pulled the same act that David Nolan preformed a short while ago" Regina kept her voice calm, and did her best to sound normal. She was sure that the hospital was not stupid enough to release a coma victim so quickly.

The ambulance made it there too slowly for Regina's liking. There was a slight argument, as the EMT didn't want to let her in the back of the bus with Emma. In the end he had lost, obviously. He was a glorified nurse in the Mayors eyes. She stared at him with devilish angry eyes the entire way to the hospital. Regina wondered how those worthless pile of pigs who pretended to work at the hospital have the audacity to allow someone as precious as Her Emma go? The brunette didn't even notice that she had staked claim, staked ownership, over the blonde in her mind.

After sending the bus for Emma the acting sheriff had dialed up Mary Margaret, who had grabbed Henry out of her class and headed for the hospital. Ruby had already been on her way, struggling to drive and calm the short haired woman down at the same time. The Brunette could, of course, handle her son's presence. But the two woman aggravated her. Emma was was out of commission, again, and there was nothing Regina could do about it. Guilt was eating at her, she wondered just how long after she had left that Her Emma had awoken. Anger was flowing like fire, at the women for having the gall to be there, and the incompetent hospital staff.

"Physically she is in near mint condition. She seems to be just sleeping off her adventure. We fully expect her to wake up within a few hours. Mentally she should be fine, but we won't know for sure until she wakes up and we can run more tests" Doctor Whale's non-interested expression and attitude had Regina clenching her hands in her pockets. Wishing her fingers were clasping around his heart. Crushing it into dust.

"Doctor Whale. What I want to know is how in the past three months, not one, but two, coma patients woke up. Then simply waltzed out of your hospital. Once was an accident, twice is a pattern. Trust me when I say this, Whale, I have half a mind to call in a professional to investigate these circumstances." It was easy to see that Whale was intimidated by Regina, his face had paled, and he'd taken two steps back for every step forward she had taken.

"I assure you, it won't happen again. It wasn't my fault. I swear." Regina's flared nostrils and crossed arms told him that she was clearly unimpressed with his refusal to accept his fault in the matter, and his empty promise. "You may all wait for her to wake up in her room" He walked away quickly, wishing to be out of the 'dragon lady's' presence.

Each second felt like an hour as Regina did her best to appear like she couldn't give a fuck if Emma burst into flames and melted to the bedspread. Each minute felt like a year, and by the time an hour passed she couldn't even sit down anymore. She instead found herself leaning into the corner, doing her best to look at the window, rather then the blonde. She refused to pace the floors like Mary Margaret.

"Hey" Emma mumbled as she began to fiddle with the buttons that would move the hospital bed. The top half of the bed pushed her into a sitting position. She was surprised at the amount of people that were around the room. Her need to escape was only lightened by Regina's presence.

"Mrs. Swan. I have absolutely no idea what is wrong with you, but one does not simply decide to wake up from a month long coma. Proceed to dress themselves. Then decide 'Oh gee, It's the opportune moment for a leisurely stroll'." Regina had to fight to stay at her side of the room. She wanted so desperately to simply bulldoze the two women out of her way and pull Emma into her arms.

Mary Margaret and Ruby were too busy crying and hugging the sore blonde to speak. They did take a moment to shoot the mayor a glare. Regina almost thought she had heard a small growl from Red. She was still fighting the urge to rip the two females touching her woman off. Henry had weaseled himself onto Emma's bed and was attached at her hip, near literally. As he got mushed under Snow and Red's hugs he couldn't help but smile. Emma was awake, on the day he had known it would happen. Now, if only he could get the rest to play out right.

"I had to do it, I had to get to y-" Emma's mouth clamped shut. Regina raised an eyebrow. "There was something I just had to do. And I hate hospitals. Get that jackass in here and bring me release papers so I can get the fuck out of here" Emma half-shouted. Regina glared at her.

Henry couldn't help but smirk as his birth-mother used profane language. His mind was already racing on how he was going to get 'Operation Bear' up and running. He understood that he had his work cut out for him, considering that as of right now it seemed that both woman hated each others guts. Henry was too happy to let his fear eat at his soul yet. For right then, Emma was awake, and for right then, that was all that mattered.

"Language!" Snapped the mayor. "Have you managed to forget our son is in this room?" It was the first time Regina had ever acknowledged that Emma might have some sort of right, or claim, over Henry. The gesture was not lost on anyone in the room. Including Regina, who already regretted it.

The room was quiet for several minutes, save for the beeps and dings of the machines hooked up to the blonde. Mary Margaret was clutching onto Emma like she thought she was going to die at any second. Emma wishing she could get out of her friends dinosaur grip. Emma desperately wanted to be out of the hospital. And she was trying to figure out why on earth she had headed towards Regina of all people. Why she had somehow known where Regina would be. It wasn't a guess. Her body had known. Deep inside of herself she had known exactly where Regina was. Emma glanced up, her green meeting Regina's brown as there eyes connected.

"No matter where you are, I will always find you" Emma whispered. Her words spilling out as she lost herself in Regina's eyes. Henry crinkled his brow, not understanding. Mary Margaret had a confused expression on her face. The saying sounded familiar to the short haired woman, she just couldn't place her finger on it. Regina tore her eyes away. Emma's words confirmed her suspicions. Confirmed her fears.

Regina wanted nothing more then to claim Emma right there, to experience that kiss, a kiss that had to be the sweetest thing considering whose lips would be upon her own. But she refused to allow herself that kiss. It would break the curse. And then Emma would hate her. Henry would hate her. Love was weakness, and strength. Her love for Emma was most certainly going to be her downfall. All she knew right then was that she wished she could have believed that their love was one sided. But no. Emma had to say that damn Charming line. It was the nail in her coffin. Regina knew, she had to do whatever she could to stay away from Emma.

The blondes thoughts were along the same line as she pulled Henry close to her. She couldn't deny her feelings for Regina once she had said that oaf Charmings line. All Emma knew was that her lips held a poison, and love for Regina or not, she couldn't take the risk of ending Regina's life. She thought Regina deserved so much better then she could offer, after all, she was Evil. Maybe not in the old world, but in this one she had no excuse.

A/N: So sorry it has taken so long for a new chapter. Life's gotten hectic. I hope to have the next installment within the week. Let me know what you think, thanks!


	7. Questions

Henry just couldn't understand why his mother and Emma wouldn't just kiss and be over it. They were perfect for each other. Emma had said the classic Charming line, the line that meant only one thing: True Love. He didn't understand allot of things. However, he was, after all, a little boy. All he understood was that it was up to him to push Emma and Regina towards each other, to get them to see and understand that they were meant to be. That they would either admit their love and live happily ever after, or fight until they killed each other.

His face was hot against the icy chill of the window of his mother's Mercedes as he stared out at the building and streets. He was angry, as Regina had forced him to go home with her. But, visiting hours were over and only people over the age of eighteen could stay over-night. So he understood why he had to leave, it didn't mean he couldn't be angry about it at least until they got home.

All throughout dinner Henry picked at his food. Trying to find a way to get 'Operation Bear' started. Trying to think of what to do. Operation Cobra was failing miserably, so his hope on Operation Bear wasn't too high. He realized that the two were, in some ways, combined. He also understood that if Cobra got done first there was no way that Bear could happen. He sighed as he continued to push around the meat on his plate. Henry couldn't figure out who it would be harder to convince that they were meant for each other, his mom, or Emma. He doubted he'd get much luck with either of them.

"Doctor Whale said that she shouldn't be released yet. And Emma refuses to stay past tomorrow. And then he said that he can't legally hold her after tomorrow. Mrs. Blanchard has to work most of the day, and I won't be able to see her as often when she's at her place" Henry said in the best sad voice he could muster. He had a goal, he just couldn't let Regina see that.

This was all true. Regina raised an eyebrow at her seemingly innocent child. She pulled the blanket up to his chest and tucked it in at the sides. She had assumed that with how quiet he had been all through the ride home, dinner, and homework that he would have just taken a good night kiss and gone to bed. The mayor had not been ready for a conversation of any sort, particularly not one about Emma.

"As bad of a taste that tints my tongue to admit, I agree with Whale. Mrs. Swan should wait the two weeks he has recommended. Be that as it may, there is nothing anyone can do to convince her to change her mind. Your birth-mother is a very stubborn woman" Regina said after a moment.

The Mayor was tired of the conversation. She wanted to get back to Emma, however, she couldn't tell her son that. Henry needed to fall asleep so that she could call Kathryn and have her sneak over, so she could escape back to Emma's side. She didn't know what she was going to tell the blonde as far as why she was there, all she knew was there was no way she could admit her feelings, or worse, act on them. Ever.

"Yes. I get that. But, I don't know, maybe she can stay here? Then you and me can take care of her" Regina had to bite back the instinct to correct his English. Regina brushed her lips against her son's forehead. He could feel that he was losing. "Please, mom, just think about it alright? I would really love it. It'd almost be like we were a real family"

The thought of Emma being her home, so close to her own being, filled Regina with warmth. She truly loved the idea. But, at the same time she despised it. As it just could not happen. She couldn't give Henry the family he wanted and deserved. She loved him, truly, and deeply. But she couldn't act on her feelings for the green eyed beauty that was always in her thoughts. Having her in her home just was not a good idea. For anyone involved.

Henry pulled out his best puppy dog eye look. His lower lip was jutted out, and he went so far as to purposely bite his tongue so his eyes watered. Giving the appearance that he was moments away from crying. From the way his mother's eyes softened, and the sigh that she let out, he knew that the face was working on his mom. He just didn't know if it would work enough. And, even if he did, it was only one domino that was falling. The bigger,tougher, domino for him to tackle would most definitely be his birth-mother. As Henry knew that only one person on the entire planet who was more stubborn, pigheaded, annoying, and set in her ways then his mother. Unfortunately for Henry that person just happened to be his other mother, the one that had birthed him.

As she stared down at her son, his eyes filled with unshed tears, his facial structure so much like Emma's, she couldn't deny it. She was in love, true love, with Emma Swan. Regina wanted nothing more then to lay with Emma's arms wrapped around her. Nothing more then to spend every day of the rest of her life protecting and caring for the blonde. She couldn't be sure that she could ever act on those instincts, and what was more, she highly doubted Emma was capable of truly realizing their connection, or acting on it if she did.

Vocalizing the fact that Henry had a point was out of the question. He couldn't be allowed to know of her infatuation. An infatuation that while she was now admitting to herself, she was still struggling to fully accept. If she were to care for Emma instead of Mary Margaret, if she were to be with Emma every day, every moment, it would be as if they were a family. It would be a gateway for herself and the Savior to get closer to each other.

She wondered if Emma had even started to notice the pull they'd been fighting all this time. If Emma noticed that they fought all the time, if Emma had noticed her at all. If Emma was denying there connection at this exact moment. Her mind was filled with Emma. She blinked, trying to clear of her mind of all things Emma. She sighed once again, she couldn't bring Emma to her home. The curse would be broken. No matter what happened, Regina knew, she wouldn't have a happy ending.

"If Mrs. Swan wishes to stay here, then yes, she may do so." Regina couldn't believe that those words had fallen from her lips. She was about to take them back, but the smile that spread across her son's face stopped her. She couldn't take that away from him. She could only pray that Emma would not agree to such a thing. The mayor just hoped that the blonde wouldn't break their son's heart to badly.

"Thanks so much Mom. You're the best! Hands down! Night!" Henry said excitedly. Regina gave him a smile before turning off the light. Leaving her son alone, his book under his pillow, his hands behind his head, and his mind racing faster then NASCAR.

Speaking of NASCAR, Regina drove her car as if it was on the track, and she was in the Grand Prix. The hospital wasn't that far away that she needed to drive at such speeds. No, she just wanted to get back to Emma that much faster. And she knew that even if Ruby happened to be doing her job and looking out for speed-demons that she'd never be pulled over thanks to her status as Mayor.

Every moment away from Emma was both a blessing and a curse. Not being able to see and bear near Emma, even if it meant them fighting, was killing Regina on the inside. However, on the flip side staying away aided in her resolve. The Mayor knew that she needed to remain firm. She had to get everything about Emma from the blonde, her past, her beliefs surrounding the curse. But, as she did that she had to make sure she didn't act on her feelings. Or worse, fall further for the Sheriff.

"I wasn't expecting anymore visitors, least of all you, Madame Mayor" She had barely glanced over her massive cell phone screen. Zombie Smasher was her game of choice, and even a small glance could allow one to many Zombies pass. She really didn't want to lose another level.

Regina sat in the chair closet to the bed. Emma stiffened at the action, she needed to stay away from the intoxicating woman who was invading her dreams, her thoughts, and now her hospital room. The Mayor bit back an eye roll at the childish game that Emma was tapping away at like her life depended on it. Emma was, unfortunately for Regina, much like her father. An overgrown child.

"There are many things we need to discuss Mrs. Swan. You flew outta my office without a word. And then you proceeded to return to save me from a fire, with your own unique brand of said flame. Before your interrupt, as I am sure you wish to do, understand this. It is I, or Doctor Hopper." Against her better judgment Emma looked up at Regina.

"I don't need to talk to anyone. Nor do I want to. And even if I talked to the cricket he wouldn't understand and I would find myself in a straight Jacket. I have to break this curse, it is the only good thing, besides giving Henry up, that I can do in this world" Emma looked at the wall as she spoke. Regina's eyes were just too easy to get lost into.

"You believe that you are healthy enough to be released from this institution, so surely you are healthy enough for paperwork." Emma groaned at Regina's words. "And you refuse to use Hopper, so that means you will be using me. So as of now, I have the unfortunate duty of breaking this curse with you, if it even exists."

"Why do I have suspicion that I am not going to like your help, or, have any choice in the matter ?" Emma asked as she tapped at her screen. She wasn't liking the slim options in front of her, but she did want to keep her job. Keeping Regina happy was part of that.

"So you do know how to use the intelligence at your disposal. To help aid in your quest to break this curse I am going to ask questions. Allot of them. And you are going to answer every single one honestly Mrs. Swan" The mayor was quite pleased with the way her voice had gotten all dark and stern.

There was a boulder, and then their was a hard place. And Emma was right smack dab in the middle of the two. However; Emma truly believed that Regina was the Savior, the child of Snow. So having her help outweighed her need to keep everything bottled and hidden deep inside. And truthfully something inside was screaming for her to tell the sex on legs woman. To let it all out, to let someone, just one person, just that person know. The blonde didn't know why it had to be Regina, but for some reason, that's was who her body was telling her to be honest and open with.

"Promise to never, ever, repeat anything I say then I will answer your questions to the best of my ability." Emma sighed out. She was annoyed, angry, and aggravated. She tossed her phone down, giving up on her game, before folding her arms over her chest. In an attempt to appear like Steel. Rather then weak, which was how she felt.

"I promise" There was no untruth in her statement. Emma knew it. Regina meant what she said, she wouldn't ever spill one of Emma's secrets to anyone. "What is the real reason for Neal's death."

"Neal was my foster father. I went to jail because I killed him. I set him on fire, I, at least, did not lie to Henry on how he died. He was burned alive." That was all the needed to be said for Regina to understand what had happened. She raised an eyebrow. A surge of anger flashed through her system.

The need to bring this Neal, the father of her child, back to life was massive. Regina wanted to skin him whilst he was still alive before setting a pack of wolves upon his flesh for daring to touch her Emma in such a vile, unwanted, consented manner. Regina also wanted to reach out, cup Emma's cheek and kiss away her pain. To capture the broken girl's lips with her own, to let her know that everything was going to be alright.

"Then my son is the product of unwanted advances. Yes, lying to him was probably the best thing to do" Regina could not bring herself to say 'Rapists child'. Emma ground her teeth together, but did not confirm or deny the truth. "Tell me. Strictly from an old world perspective, about the Evil Queen. Emma was relieved by the change of subject.

"The Queen was not Evil. She lost her true love. She confided her secret to a child who should have known better, and worse, her love was killed right in front of her by her own mother. A mother who should have loved and supported her." Emma said honestly.

Regina was shocked by Emma's words. She could tell, lie detector or not, that Emma spoke the truth. And every word had the brunette close to wincing. Her mother had been an unloving horrible creature, and Snow had either been stupid or just didn't give a shit about people. But no one had ever sided with her before. No one had ever been on her side of their own free will.

"This child, this stupid, self-centered child, then turned everyone against her. She was labeled, she was cast aside. Alone, again. The Queen had only killed a handful of people. And she had only done that when she had no other choice. Like her father, she hadn't want to. I know it killed her inside. But she needed to escape here." Emma pulled her knees to her chest. Wrapping her arms around them as she stared down.

The Mayor was too stunned to talk. She knew that Emma believed, without a single doubt, that she was the Queen. But it didn't sound as if Emma was making excuses. It sounded as if she spoke of a past life, with logic and careful calculation. The brunette understood that Emma must of spent hours upon hours thinking about the Evil Queen's fairy tale times. It warmed her heart to know that someone cared about the so called Evil Queen besides herself. She also loved Emma's thoughts on Snow.

"Yes. The Queen did bad things. However, if she had never met Snow fucking White then things would have been different. She wouldn't have been thrown into a little black box and paraded as Evil. None of it would have happened. If Snow had just opened her eyes. But that's the past" It was clear that Emma was finally done talking.

"And you still believe that you are the Evil Queen and I am that dipshit Snow's child, or the blue fucking fairy?" Regina still really hated both of those fucking options. She'd rather die then be Snow's kid. Or the blue fairy. Regina kept herself from placing her hand over Emma's.

"Yes. I am the Queen. Although, I was not evil in that world. Misguided, and forced into that life. But here, in this world, the things I have done. Well there is no excuse for what I did. Here I had options, and instead I took the path of darkness. I'm tired. I need a break" Regina nodded at Emma.

Regina watched as Emma made the bed lay down flat. She watched, pain in her eyes, as Emma turned away from her. She stared quietly for a few more hours. Her heart clenching, and her mind racing. It wasn't until dawn was approaching the she brushed the hair from Emma's forehead and kissed it lightly, and then snuck out of her room quickly. Wondering how in the world she was going to manage to keep away from the blonde.

A/N: I hope you are enojoying the story thus far. Let me know what you think please.


	8. Crushing Henry's spirit

The first few hours of the morning had been uneventful. Calm one could say. Emma had woken up alone, she hadn't been surprised. Actually she preferred it that way; despite the chains that seemed to tug and squeeze her heart at finding Regina had left. She chose to ignore the pain, and focus on other things. Like the alien looking breakfast one of the nurses sat in front of her. Although she thought it not possible, it tasted worse then it looked.

Half of the breakfast had managed to be swallowed when Mary Margaret showed up, with her was a bear claw. Emma literally shoved the disgusting excuse of food away and greedily took the mouthgasmic food from Mary before she could even manage a hello. Shoveling the godlike substance into her mouth. Hospital food was just shit. Ruby joined the party just as Emma was stuffing the entire thing down her throat.

"Jesus. That didn't last long. Don't blame ya, the food here makes liver and onions sound like heaven" Ruby said as she laughed at the puffed out cheeks that adorned Emma's face. Emma nodded as she struggled to swallow the tasty treat.

Casual chitchat about what was going to happen after release, and about what had been going on the past month was the topic of choice for the three woman. While not her favorite subjects they needed to be discussed, and honestly it wasn't that horrible. It had been decided that Ruby would check in on Emma while Mary Margaret worked, and then Mary would keep an eye afterwords. Not happy that they deemed that she needed supervision, but happy that she would soon be released, Emma was content with the arrangements.

"So are you going to be released today?" Emma nodded as Henry rushed into the room. Rolling her eyes at his greeting. His smile grew tenfold at the information. "That's great. So, I got the greatest idea ever!" He said excitedly as he crawled up onto the foot of her bed.

Laughter escaped from Ruby and Mary Margaret's lips. Leave it to a ten year old to already have plans for the woman who was just being released. Regina just leaned against the furthest wall from Emma. The blonde frowned, a feeling of dread swept up her spine. She was already positive she wouldn't like whatever Henry had deemed 'the greatest idea ever'. She sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

"Alright Henry, tell us what this greatest idea ever is. We are dying to know" Ruby said with a smile. Emma shot her a death glare at her encouragement. She caught Regina's eyes for a mere second, but before she could relay her message for the help she would surely need other emotions stirred within her and she had to look away.

"So here it is. Doctor Whale said that you shouldn't be released. But he can't keep you. And he said that you should be watched and stuff just in case. So, you should come stay with me and mom!" That smile just kept growing. It was going to kill her to take that away, but she felt like she had no choice.

"Henry, listen, I can't possibly do that. The Mayor is a very busy woman. I can take of myself, at my apartment. Ruby, and Mary Margaret are going to be there for me. So you don't need to worry. Alright?" Emma said as gently as she could. Henry's brow furrowed, his smile a thing of the past.

Telling the kid the truth wasn't an option. He wouldn't understand it. Add in the fact she was damn sure that Regina would smack her. She sighed as she thought of how she could have possibly explained that the reason she couldn't stay was because, much like a teenage boy, she couldn't control her hormones around the brunette. And if she couldn't keep herself in check that she would, undoubtedly, kiss Regina. Her poisonous lips would claim another being.

"I could bring you over to see her everyday after school if your mother" The teacher looked up at the Mayor, who gave her a nod of approval. "Is alright with that. I would make sure you were home in time for dinner. Does that sound like an agreeable plan?" Henry shook his head, and crossed his arm.

Just thinking about being underneath the Mayor's roof sent a deathly chill throughout Emma's body, and up her spine. It felt to her as if someone was jumping on her grave with supreme joy. Emma, at seeing Henry's pain; and for her own selfish reasons, wanted nothing more then to give in. She wanted, so badly, to be near both Regina, and Henry. However, as much as she wanted to be a selfish beast, she knew she couldn't be. She couldn't allow herself that.

Controlling herself, she'd never been good at that. Being that close to Regina would be torture, and Emma doubted how long she would be able to keep from sneaking into the Mayor's bed chambers. Or grabbing her and pushing her against a wall, and taking the forbidden kiss. It broke her on the inside, to deny her son a wish that he clearly wanted so desperately. She truly knew, truly believed, she had no choice but to say no. The fact that Mary Margaret, and even Ruby, were on her side about the matter of her recovery place was comforting to the woman. It helped to soften the blow that she was breaking her sons heart.

Persistence seemed to be in the boys blood. For two full hours he did everything his eleven year old brain could come up with. Everything, and anything to get Emma to go home with him and his mother. However, Emma, Mary Margaret, and Ruby were all against his wishes. A brigade to eradicate the poor kid's dreams. They were nice, but that didn't stop the pain and anger that were settling within his soul.

Release papers were signed, Doctor Whale and let them be, and Emma was dressed and ready to go. Which was when Henry pulled out his secret weapon. The one that he hadn't wanted to use, but now he had now other choice. It was his next to last plot to get what he wanted. What he needed for Operation Bear. Henry burst into tears. He cried for several minutes, but it made no change.

The group of five were packed into the small elevator. It was moving slowly down the floors, headed for the parking garage. Emma was leaning against the back wall. She was appreciating the view of Regina's hindquarters in her skirt. Red and Mary were off the side, scheduling when Ruby would bring lunch and check on Emma while Mary was at the school. Henry was sulking in the corner, his arms crossed and his face red with anger, and from crying. As the elevator dinged, and the doors opened he turned to face Emma.

"If you don't come home with me then I hate you. And I won't ever see you again. So will you come?" Emma shook her head at him. "I hate you. Do you hear me? I hate you!" He shouted. "I never want to see you again!" He ran off, nearly smacking into his mom's car before he climbed in.

Everyone stared open mouthed at the kids outburst, they knew he was sad and angry over Emma's refusal, but they never expected such a scene from the level-headed, mature beyond his years, child. The blonde sighed, before running a hand through her hair. Briefly wondering if she should just go back to Boston now. Regina was the most surprised by her son's outburst, and decided she would reprimand him for his actions at another time.

"I believe that it's for the best" Emma stated quietly. Earning her an eyebrow raise from all three women as they stepped out of the elevator. "He was never my son to begin with. All I will ever do is disappoint him. It's all I've ever done. He's your kid"

Fighting the urge to both kiss, and bitch-slap, the blonde, Regina let her eyes give the woman a once over. Blue leather jacket, baggy worn jeans, white wife-beater. Very 'Emma-esque' in Regina's opinion. Mary rubbed Emma's shoulder, trying to comfort the blonde as she didn't know what to say to make it better. While Ruby stuck her tongue in her cheek, trying to figure out why Regina was looking at Emma like a wolf looks at a steak.

"While you did not raise him, he is still, very much your son. And trust me, I loathe myself for admitting that. You chose to be here, you claimed him. That makes him yours as well as mine Mrs. Swan. He is hurt, and he has lashed out. Little boys tend to do that. He doesn't mean it." Regina said angrily before tearing her eyes away from Emma's form. She turned on her heel and headed after her brokenhearted child.

"Well that went well" Muttered Emma. She clapped her hands together, making Mary jump at the sound. "Granny has a triple cheeseburger, large fries, and two mondo strawberry milkshakes with my name on it. Let's feed me, I haven't had a proper meal since the fire!"

Ruby let out a small laugh as she rolled her eyes at Emma. However, she wasn't going to deny her anything today. She patted her back. Everyone chose not to try and talking about anything. Ruby understood that Emma needed a break after all she'd been through. That she just needed a normal evening. Mary Margaret would have preferred to have gone home, but, she wasn't about to argue with Emma considering the circumstances. She figured that would end up with Emma at the bed and breakfast rather then at the apartment where she belonged. And she was right. Emma was flight risk. The trio of friends headed towards the diner, choosing to focus on the happy events of the day. Rather then the stress of it.

The first day back at Mary Margaret and Emma's apartment after her release was easy. The sheriff ate her breakfast with the slightly annoying Teacher, who nearly called off work. After successfully getting the woman out of the house Emma planted her on the couch and watched Netflix until around noon, which was when Ruby showed up with another installment of heart attack on a bun.

"Double M can't know, I had strict orders to bring healthy foods!" Ruby had said sternly before relinquishing the greasy heaven to Emma. "She threatened to cut off my head should I even contemplate bringing you a triple and fries" Emma rolled her eyes. She was a grown ass woman, she could eat what she wanted.

Blood and guts were splayed across the screen as the two enjoyed a slasher flick while they ate. Ruby left when the credits began rolling, making sure to take the evidence of Emma's meal with her. Emma, finding herself left to her own devices, chose another movie and rested her feet on the coffee table. Emma wasn't surprised when Mary returned home alone after work that day.

Admittingly, it stung her a little that Henry had chosen not to go with Mary Margaret. That he didn't want to see Emma, but she couldn't blame the kid. And she still felt it was best that he not be near her too much in the first place. That didn't stop her from wishing he had come anyway. What made her saddest, not that she was willing to admit that, was the fact that by the time she was in bed Regina still hadn't stopped by. She desperately wanted to see the Mayor. And she hated herself for it. She was glad that she hadn't, she needed to battle back her lust when it came to the brunette.

Day two had played along the same tune. Breakfast with Mary Margaret, nearly having to push her out of the house to get her to work. Ruby bringing over forbidden foods for lunch, watching a movie together, and then Mary coming home, without Henry, and starting her 'mother hen' act that annoyed poor Emma to no end. The end of her rope concerning the woman who had been Snow was quickly coming.

Just after five pm a commotion was heard outside of the door. Someone was kicking at the door, and a kid was screaming bloody murder. Emma had moved to get up and check on whatever was going on, but Mary wagged a finger at her and threw open the door to reveal a tired, red-faced Regina, and a tomato Henry. Henry was struggling against his mother's firm hold on his wrist, and was screaming at her.

Seeing Regina so, exhausted, was out of character. Then again, seeing Henry throw such a fit was unheard of. Regina stepped inside, and Henry grabbed onto the door frame with both hands just as Regina caught the back of his pants. It was amusing watching Regina grab the boy on both sides and lift him fully off the ground to try and detach her insolent son from his position.

"Henry Thomas Mills let go of the wall right now or so help me I will burn that infernal book" Regina snapped. At the threat the boy stopped struggling. Regina dropped his feet to the floor, careful to hold onto the back of his shirt just in case. He let go of the door-frame.

"I don't want to be here. You can't make me!"He demanded as he tried to leave, a useless endeavor considering Regina still had a hold on his shirt. "I hate her. I don't want to be here!"

The game of human tug of war was over, the victor clearly the mother. This didn't change Henry's attitude at all. He sulked towards Mary Margaret who sat him at table and tried to win him over with hot chocolate sprinkled with cinnamon. Regina gave the scene a glare, she was quite sick of her sons infant like behavior. He'd always been well behaved, never thrown such tantrums.

Regina held her head high through her humiliation. Her chin forward, her face going back to it's normal shade. She patted down her jacket. She was acting, and she was an amazing actress. On the inside she wanted to just bolt out the door and run thanks to her son's insolent behavior. She had already been nervous on whether or not Emma would see through her ploy. She had simply wanted to see the blonde, so she had brought over the paperwork that needed to be done.

"I will return everyday at five fifteen. To collect the paperwork that you have managed to finish, and allow you to see Henry." Regina placed a small stack on the coffee table, she had made it so that Emma shouldn't have to do more then an hour of work on it a day. "Each day I will give you a new stack. Understood?"

"Mayor Mills, I don't think that's such a good idea, Emma is recovering, surely the paperwork can wait a few more weeks to be completed?" Mary Margaret had that mothering look in her eye, and that mother hen attitude firmly in place. Emma looked down at her feet, in shame and annoyance.

"Mrs. Blanchard, Mrs. Swan has decided that she is recovered enough to go home against Doctor's orders. An hour or two of paperwork everyday is not going to tire her, and it is her job. If she is capable of being home she is capable of doing this aspect of the job" Regina's eyes dared Mary Margaret to speak again.

"It's fine Mary Margaret." Mary Margaret huffed but returned her attention to the glaring, angry child at her kitchen table. "I need you to sign the papers saying I can go back to work." Regina lifted one eyebrow.

"We shall see Mrs. Swan. I don't need my Sheriff getting themselves killed because there too stubborn to rest after such an ordeal. Henry, let's go" At his name he was out of the door, in a literal blink of an eye. "Until tomorrow Mrs. Swan." Emma gave a halfhearted grunt in response.

The rest of the week carried out in much of the same fashion. While there was no more physical tug of war between boy and mother, it was very clear that Henry was no there willingly. He would sulk near the door, sipping his hot chocolate, ignoring everyone. Including Mary Margaret. Ruby brought over forbidden foods and they'd catch a horror flick before Ruby would be forced back to work. Emma would do her best not to kill Mary Margaret, and handed over her completed paperwork every afternoon to the mayor.

Henry was still very angry. On some level the child knew he was acting infantile. And, even as he kicked and screamed as his mother dragged him each day to visit Emma, he knew that his actions were only hindering Operation Bear. But, he was but a young boy. He couldn't forgive Emma for not giving into his demands, that she had denied his wish. His perfect plan had been thwarted before it had even had a change to begin, and that killed him inside.

Blaming Emma was easy. It was simpler for him to just give up and believe that there was no hope for Operation Bear anymore. To believe that his mothers would kill each other because his first plan failed. His hope had been completely slaughtered, and his dreams stained red. He was hellbent on making Emma suffer the consequences of squashing a young boys soul. He wasn't ready to move past his anger just yet, wasn't ready to try again.

Walking alone had always been Regina's thing. To that respect, it was also Emma's. The Mayor had to be strong to get out from underneath her torturous mother's hold. To be more powerful, to be what she needed to be to get out of the hell that had been her life. And now, the brunette's body and heart were constantly screaming at her. Telling her that she need not be alone, that the she needed another. That she needed some form of Emma on a daily basis.

To say her mind was hellbent against such things was an understatement. However, her body and heart won out to an extent. Everyday she dragged Henry, kicking and screaming, to see his birth-mother. The woman she was so adamant that she didn't love, she couldn't even say to herself that she and Emma were meant to be one. To further prove to everyone that she wasn't going to see the blonde just to see her she was dropping off the paperwork that, honestly, desperately needed to be done.

Pretending that Henry's words and actions didn't phase her, didn't hurt her, wasn't easy, but it wasn't hard. Emma was used to placing a mask of uncaring over her features. She was accustomed to pretending that everything was peachy even when it was far from it. Pretending that she didn't hold a great deal of lust over the boy's mother with every single fiber of her being was much harder. The tiniest brush of their fingers when she handed over finished paperwork lit her entire body on fire, figuratively speaking. What was even more shattering to the blonde's system was that every time Regina left her presence it was as if all the light in the world had left her, leaving her in utter and complete blackness.

The most irritating thing that transpired over the week was Mary Margaret's hovering. She was worse then a mother fucking helicopter. It was in the top three things that made Emma want to light the whole damn city in her ghost flames and watch it all burn to the ground. Mary Margaret was like a fucking, well the blonde wasn't sure what, but she wished heavily that the chick would have to work nonstop rather then just what seemed like a very short eight hours.

Emma thought Mary Margaret desperately needed some good pussy, or dick, whichever the teacher would prefer. She could barely handle Regina and Henry's short visits without being completely on edge. Mary Margaret only made things worse. Emma loved her, she was her best friend, but god, the teacher made Emma's very teeth ache in annoyance. Mary Margaret wasn't her keeper or mother or owner. She had no need to hover like Emma was a hurt infant.

A/N: Sorry for the wait. I hope you like this installment.


	9. Just one kiss

Complete and utter hell was what the two weeks had been. Henry's constant hatred and anger towards the blonde had her dying inside, and she was constantly fighting against her own body whenever Regina was within a fifty foot radius. She wanted nothing more then to push Regina against a wall, lean down and capture her lips in a hungry kiss. But she couldn't, wouldn't. On the flip side she didn't know how long she could last without touching the Mayor.

She was only in the Mayor's office to drop off the very last of the finished paperwork, and get her damn release back to work form signed. The fact that coming here would mean she wasn't forced to see Henry's angry hurt face as he pouted in the corner like he had been for two weeks was just an added bonus. On the other hand being stranded in a closed room with the object of her desire was a downfall. A large one, especially with the pristine white blouse she wore, and her black skirt that she knew she had to be wearing behind the large desk.

Visions of propping Regina onto it, and ripping off her clothes filtrated into her mind. She clenched her fists as she imagined taking off Regina's shirt, and capturing her perfect breast in her mouth as her fingers traced her ribs on there way southward. Emma sighed, trying to clear her head of her not so innocent thoughts as she stared out the window behind the Mayor. She was glad that she wasn't a male, her panties were damp, and if she had an appendage between her thighs it would be proudly protruding against the zipper of her black jeans.

Regina stood up, and walked around her desk. Until she was face to face with Emma. Barely two inches between them. The last two weeks had been torture for the brunette. She had finally figured out her feelings towards the blonde, and she could deny them no longer. Every moment apart killed her inside. She truly, without a doubt, loved Emma Swan. There was no escape for Regina, no going back.

Due to the way that Emma looked at her, she could only hope, only pray to whatever higher power there may be, that Emma liked her at least a sliver of the way she had come to feel about the Sheriff. She couldn't breathe as she looked into Emma's confused green eyes. The Mayor reached out, and rested her hand softly against Emma's cheek. The content made her heart beat with joy, her blood flow faster. It felt so right.

"Kiss me" Croaked out Regina, she sounded weak. And she knew that, but she needed that kiss. It was what she craved, she needed it like she needed air. It would tell her the truth if Emma was her True Love. She knew she truly loved the blonde, but, did Emma truly love her back.

Emma jerked out of the other woman's hands, fear etching itself on her features. She paled as she took a few feet back. Regina couldn't help the hurt, the pain, that splayed across her own face at the obvious denial. Her heart, which had been happy at such a small contact, slowed in pain. Her heart felt like something, or someone, had grabbed it and was now squeezing it into dust. Like she herself had done so many times before. Regina took a step towards Emma on instinct. Trying to close the gap that had been created between them.

"I can't, I won't." The tears that filled Regina's eyes broke Emma on the inside. "You would die, just like Graham did. In this world, my kiss, it's worse then the apples I had given Snow" As she spoke Emma had touched her fingertips to her own lips. The mayor scowled at Emma's words.

"That's not true. Please, I'm begging you, just, just kiss me" Regina felt weak, and pathetic. She had never begged for anything before now, but. She needed it, she needed Emma. And to hell with the curse ending, she didn't care, as long as it meant Emma could love her.

Sad eyes glanced over Regina's body, Regina grabbed onto Emma's sides. A tear slid down her cheek, and on instinct, Emma wiped it away with the pad of her thumb. Just touching Regina felt so right to her, and it made her feel so guilty. She couldn't have love, she felt guilty that Regina liked her so much. That she couldn't give Regina what she deserved; a happy ending.

"I won't Regina. I'm sorry. I should go." Carefully Emma pried Regina's hands from her hips, pushing Regina back until her arms were like bars holding the woman she loved away from herself. It was what was best for the Mayor, or so Emma honestly thought.

"I love you, I truly love you. I've never felt like this before, never dreamed of having this. Just one kiss, just. Please. Please" Seeing Regina beg, hearing her proclamation of love. Hearing her pain, it was like someone was driving a stake through her unworthy heart.

Emma stared at the woman she loved for several minutes. It was like the world was waiting for one of the two woman to say, or do, something. Emma stared at Regina, and it broke her inside to know Regina spoke the truth. Regina loved her, and that brought the blonde a multitude of emotions. Happiness, guilt, and pain. Her grip faltered, and her hands fell to her sides, she found herself staring into the woman she loved eyes, the thing she knew she shouldn't do. Those eyes were her downfall.

"Trying not to love you, it's been the hardest thing I've ever had to deal with. This amount of love, you just don't understand, I have never felt it like this before. I never loved, not truly, not until I brought Henry home that night. But it's wrong, I am wrong. My sins in the other world were petty and forgivable, but in this land, I have proven that I am nothing but Evil" Emma finally whispered.

Emma loved her, that alone made Regina want to wrap her arms around the woman in joy and never let go. But the pain in which Emma spoke had stopped her in her tracks. Emma deserved everything, and anything, she could ever want or need. She wasn't evil, and she didn't know what to say. Or how to convince Emma of the truth.

"Trust me, Emma, please" She once again rested her hand against Emma's cheek. "Trust in me. Just kiss me. All it takes is one kiss, true loves kiss. Even if your lips hold the darkest, most horrible poison known to any land as you claim, then I won't be affected. The curse will break. Is that not what you wanted for Henry in the first place?"

"If I were to kill you, I could not live with myself. I would follow you. Without you, without knowing you are safe, there is no purpose for me. I could not even stay for the son you cherish above yourself" The blonde said as she stepped towards Regina, the gap between them closing. Her lips were but an inch away from Regina's.

"If you were to die then I would follow you as well, you are mine, meant only for me. My heart is yours. For all of eternity" With that Regina could wait no longer, could no wait for Emma's permission. She crashed her lips against Emma's own.

Neither woman took notice as a pink and yellow explosion ricocheted through the office, spreading out until it had surrounded the entire town. Emma pushed Regina up onto the desk the moment she realized the woman in her arms had not died from her kiss. Regina held no complaints as her skirt was literally ripped off of her, and her thong along with it. Her bare ass was warm against the cool wood of her desk.

Fingers plunged, and clothes were torn off both parties as they hungrily attacked each other in the most beautiful way possible. Pleasured screams bounced around the soundproofed room as the two woman explored each others bodies, instinctively knowing where to touch and nip and trace to get the other woman to the ultimate high. Nothing outside of there new found union was of interest to the new lovebirds.

Nothing in the world could possibly matter as Emma's fingers lightly ran up and down Regina's stomach, nothing could possibly be of any importance as Regina let out a strangled cry as she bucked her hips as Emma placed her knee against her dripping center. They didn't know how much time had passed, it could have been years. All that mattered was that they were in each others arms. They were together due to True Love, a truer love then even Snow and Charming had.

Outside of the office all of the citizens of Storeybrooke had gathered. Two lives merging into ones, everyone had awoken, everyone remembered there true selves. Charming wrapped his arms around Snow the moment he got to her, kissing her deeply, as if they hadn't kissed in a century. They didn't stop until Mr. Gold, or rather, Rumpelstiltskin, tapped on Charming's shoulder.

"Your subjects seem to want your guidance on what to do next, considering they have not been returned to their home. Perhaps you should cut your happy reunion short and act like a King?" He said with a creepy smile. Sure enough, everyone was yelling in the crowd, trying to figure out what to do.

"Tell me, Gold, why did our kiss as David and Mary Margaret not break this curse if only True Love could break it?" Snow asked, her arms crossing as she glared at Gold. Who simply laughed for a moment.

"Simple, I made the curse, so that only a love truer then your own could break it. Second generation true love. Meaning, only the true love of true love's child could break it. Tell me, where is that precious Emma about now?" He walked away quickly, a cheeky smile on his features.

Snow didn't have to decipher Rumpelstiltskin's cryptic riddle. She'd kick his ass later, for right now she needed to calm down the people of her kingdom who had crowed around her and Charming in the middle of the street. She climbed on top of a hummer, and popped two fingers in her mouth, letting out a huge, ear-splitting, whistle. Everyone shut up and turned to look at her.

"People of our lands, please, calm down. Panic will do us no good. As your Queen, I swear unto you that I will figure this all out, we all need time. The curse has just been broken, find your families if you have been separated. Blue and her fairies will help you with this." Snow bellowed out to the crowd. Charming just stood at the bottom of the hummer, looking a fool like he usually did.

"What's to be done about Regina? About getting home!?" Grumpy, or Leroy, shouted out the silent crowd. Snow sighed, her old friend was always out for a fight. "I say we torture her until she tells us how to get home, and then kill her!" He continued.

"Grumpy, please, calm down. We will figure this all out. Charming and I will go after the Evil Queen, I am sure in this non-magical world we are more then enough. If she see's us all coming it will only be trouble. Trust us. We can do this. Granny, tell me you have some weapons?" Snow asked as Granny made her way to stand by David.

"Of course dear, come to the diner, even in this world I had an affinity for old time weaponry. I have just what you need. Ruby, stay here with Grumpy and Blue and help everyone out!" Ruby nodded, and grumpy huffed.

Once outfitted with weapons and clothes that felt more comfortable to the royal couple they deduced that finding Emma and her true love should be secondary to catching up with the Evil Queen, and they knew just where to find her. They tossed Henry at Ruby, not telling him where they were going. They couldn't exactly tell the kid that they were going after the woman who raised him. They set off towards the town hall, where the Mayor's office was. Where they knew Regina had to be.

A/N: I actually had this done for the past ten days... Unfortunatly I am VERY bad at being an 'adult' and didn't pay the internet bill... But, obviously, I ended up paying it finally and thus, your update. Sorry for making you wait so damn long.


	10. Truth

Snow and Charming raced up the stairs of the town hall, there destination set inside of their minds. Anger fueled them, there daughter was full grown, and they had missed all of it. All because of the Evil Queen. They had been separated from each other, ripped from their homes, because the Evil Queen had cast Rumpelstiltskin's curse. Everything they had known had been taken from them, and they blamed Regina.

"Regina!" Shouted Mary Margaret as she and David slammed open the office door. The two slid to a halt, David's sword out and ready for action. Snow's bow pulled back, the arrow ready to fly at it's target. What they saw had both of there jaws hanging loosely from there skulls.

Emma's face was buried between Regina's legs. Previously oblivious that there was, in fact, a world outside of the Mayoral office. Regina's eyes widened as they connected with Snow's own bug eyed expression. Emma lifted her head slightly, anger at there interruption burning through her system. She glared at the original true love couple with fiery eyes. Emma sat up, not liking that they were seeing Regina in the nude, that was for her, and her alone, to see.

"You are fucking the Evil Queen?" Mary Margaret said obliviously. Now, Emma was still under the assumption she was the Evil Queen. She grabbed the throw blanket that was on the couch and covered Regina with it before standing. She didn't want them to see her love's body.

"True love's kiss broke the curse." Emma stated, crossing her arms over her still naked body. David, who had been looking at the ceiling in an attempt not to see his daughters birthday suit, starting anxiously looking around. Seeking out the man who had won his daughters heart.

Regina stood up, wrapping the blanket around herself tightly. She kept her chin high as she grabbed Emma's jeans, and tossed them at the still naked woman, Emma quickly put them on, but didn't bother buttoning them. Her jacket slammed into the side of her face, and Emma smirked and raised an eyebrow at the woman she loved. Regina just smiled back as Emma zipped up the offensive red leather.

"Wait, I am confused. Whose true loves kiss?" He was still scanning the room with his eyes, trying to find the man. But, to no avail, he was the only man in the room. He scratched his head as he tried to figure out what the hell was going on.

"You mean to tell me that you two, of all people, are true loves?" As she spoke Snow's heart sunk down below the floorboards, it was the only answer. The fact that this meant that Regina and Emma shared a love more true, more deep then her own with Charming was just a large dick-slap to the face. Emma nodded at her. "How? How can that be!" She whined.

David had yet to figure it out, his mind racing, and failing on the fourth turn. He just couldn't put two and two together to make four. He kept ending up at three or five. He stared at his wife, then at his daughter, then the Evil Queen. Emma wrapped an arm around Regina's shoulders. Pulling her close, and kissing her cheek. He still didn't get it. But snow did, and she was furious, and disgusted.

"Our kiss, our love, broke the curse" Regina stated. Wrapping one arm around Emma's back tightly, holding onto her for support. She would not let them take Emma from her. "Our love is truer then your own, the true love of a person born of it and their lover. The true love of souls that were meant to be entangled together"

"That just cannot be!" David demanded. He looked like an overgrown idiot as he stamped his foot in anger. "It's just wrong. The savior and the Evil Queen. And you are both woman! True love is only between one man and one woman" He sputtered like a chicken with his head cut off.

"True love can between anyone! There is no gender when it comes to love!" Shouted Emma, she was beyond livid. David could take his ancient idiocy and shove it up his stupid ass for all she cared. "Do as you will for me for the wrong I have done in this world. But I swear, you touch a single fucking hair on Regina and I will come back from the grave itself to kill you."

"Emma-" Mary Margaret was quickly cut off as Emma continued her rant. Mary Margaret, or rather, Snow White, had no choice but to shut up and listen as Emma continued her speech.

"Shut up Snow!" Emma snapped. "My petty little schemes that I used to do in the old world were nothing. I will murder you in this one. I will become the title you forced upon me. I will kill you painfully, and slowly" She growled as she spoke, moving to stand in front of the woman she loved more then anything else in any possible universe.

"Emma, sweetheart, please" Regina started, she wanted to explain. Wanted to set Emma straight, Emma had not been the Evil Queen. She needed her to know that, she couldn't keep letting Emma believe that she was the Queen, that was wrong, and Emma didn't deserve that pain.

"Regina, let me finish." Emma said softly, before her voice turned cold again. "A sleeping curse? To bring them to this word? To make sure everyone lived a mostly happy life? I let that stupid fool live, had I left him in the old world, which would have been easy as shit, he would have died from that injury. Instead I brought him here. I gave everyone youth and immortality. Child's play. I wasn't Evil, I was confused. Yes, my actions were wrong." Emma took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.

Everyone knew better then to speak, not until Emma let them. For some reason she scared David and Mary Margaret, and they didn't want to piss her off just yet. Regina was quiet just because she craved to know the rest of Emma's speech. Emma clutched her fists together, fighting back the anger. The flames that were rising inside of her, right then she wanted to just kill the royal couple and be done with it, but she didn't want to accidentally hurt Regina in the crossfire. So she battled it back into her person.

"I have given them safety, medical care, and allowing Snow's fucking dimwit live should have at least given me, the Evil fucking Queen, who was created by Snow's stupidity, should have given me a second chance. The evil I have done in this world, the crimes I've committed here, I cast the curse to bring myself some happiness. And instead, I damned myself to a darker path then before. But listen real fucking closely, dead or not, anyone ever touches the woman I can't help but love, the woman I don't deserve, I will slaughter everyone and everything so fucking fast that nothing and nobody anywhere will know what has happened!"

"Emma, I have tried, so hard, so many times, to tell you. But you never listen, you wouldn't. You are not the Queen. You did not curse this world, you are not Evil. I" Regina's voice broke in shame as she stared into Emma's eyes. "I am the Evil Queen." Emma gave Regina a bittersweet smile.

"No you are not. You are a wonderful Mayor. You have protected these people for nearly thirty years. Made sure they had the best of everything. Schooling, medical care, food, you have protected this people from the outsiders. Other then choosing me as Sheriff you did perfectly. There is not a single evil bone inside of your wonderful body, my love" Regina looked down at her feet at Emma's words.

David, Charming, was fuming. Angry at everything he couldn't understand. He could not figure out why Emma thought like she did, why she was under the impression that she could possibly love such a sadistic horrible creature as Regina god damn Mills, the Evil Queen. He wanted to skewer Regina right then, but he was sure Emma would jump in front of her. Killing his own daughter wasn't an option. Locking her up until she came to her senses was viable he thought.

As if reading her husbands thoughts Mary lowered her bow and smacked him hard in the back of the head, her eyebrow raised. He looked away, he had rather liked his thought about locking up Emma somewhere until she could be reasoned with, but, he couldn't disobey Snow's orders, even if it had been a painful but silent one. He turned his head back to glare at Regina. And then something in his mind clicked.

"Emma, she is not lying. She is the Evil Queen. She had bewitched you, cast a spell of some sort, to force you to believe you are the Queen. She must have also done the same to make you believe you love her, there is no way you two are meant to be together!" Charming shouted angrily. He was sure that he was right. It was the only logical answer he had been able to come up with.

"I only became the Evil Queen because Snow was a stupid, worthless child who told Cora that fucking secret. If my mother hadn't killed Daniel then my heart wouldn't have shut down. Wouldn't have been forced to marry a man who only wanted me for sex and nothing more. He demanded it of me. If anything he was a rapist!" Emma shouted back.

Suddenly it dawned on Emma that Regina hadn't lied, that David hadn't lied about the Evil Queen bit. She took a few steps backwards as it hit her full force like a professional linebacker on steroids. Her whole body felt as if she'd been slammed into the side of a building with a wrecking ball. Her whole belief system had just been shattered. She started to shake in anger, anger at Snow, at Charming, and at the man who had dared to touch her love.

"Baby. Calm down, it is going to be alright. Your father and I are here now. We can cure you of whatever brainwashing techniques or curses she has put you under. Come with us, trust us. We can help you" Snow chose to believe her husbands theory, as it was the easiest to believe.

"Send me back there. Reverse time" Emma's teeth cracked as she ground them together. "I am going to broil that fucker alive before Sydney gets the fucking chance. I am going to kill him, touching you like that. I am going to shove a fucking pole so far up his ass that it shoots out his-" Her words were cut off by Regina's lips against her own. Shushing her entirely.

"Quiet. He is long gone. He has not been able to hurt me in a longtime. And he can no longer hurt me ever again. I promise you. Just, calm down. Emma, just calm down" After Regina had broke away from Emma she had taken a few steps back. Emma was shaking in anger.

Ghost like flames started to dance down Emma's shoulders, down her arms, they rose up her legs. Her power was reacting, and she couldn't control it. With scared eyes she backed further away from Regina, she couldn't live if she were to hurt her at all. She was fighting to pull them back inside, but she was failing, ghostly white flames were erupting all over the room. Her anger, her power, was out of control.

"I can't. I'm so angry. So angry. I can't. I can't control it" Emma landed on her knees, clutching her midsection as she struggled against her power, she could barely speak. She needed to hold it inside long enough for Regina to escape. "Please, get out. Before it's too late"

Flames were running up the walls, getting bigger and more ferocious with each second. But, escaping was not on Regina's mind. She would not leave Emma alone, and in pain. She would share it with Emma if she had to, she stalked forward quickly, pulling Emma to her feet in a miraculous show of strength and pulling her into her arms. She wrapped them tightly around the blond.

"I won't Emma. Me and you. Forever. I will not lose you. You can control your power. You won't hurt me, you would never hurt me" She whispered into Emma's ear as the flames stopped. Emma's arms wrapped themselves around Regina. Her flames were gone, and so was her pain.

It seemed that while Emma could not control her flames of her own accord, all it took was Regina's touch and Emma's instinct to protect her True Love would over power her anger. It was like dumping the entire ocean on a cigarette. Emma would never hurt Regina, and her flames responded to that. Emma buried her head into the shorter woman's neck.

"I've done so much wrong. Killed. Stole. How can you love someone like me" The blonde whispered. She had long since forgotten about the angry Charming, and mortified Snow in there midst. "I don't deserve you. You deserve so much more." Regina rubbed Emma's back. Trying to further calm her.

"Who else could I love? Who else could love me. You are my one. There's no one else. You understand me, I understand you. You believed in me when not even Henry believed in me. You wanted to set things right, if anything I don't deserve you. But you're stuck with me anyway" Was Regina's reply, before she kissed Emma deeply.

Whatever else lay in their future. Whatever else may come, no matter what the two had to face. They knew they would always have each other, because no one, and nothing, could ever break them apart. The universe had set so many things in motion to get them together, as had gold. The only thing they knew, was together, they could do anything.

A/N: Should I end it here? Or continue on?


End file.
